Sheffield City Council have released their new system for working out rents for council housing. This new system is aimed at making rents "fair" regardless of the social landlord eg renst roughly the same whether you are a council tenant or a housing association teneant etc.

Does this new system also mean that Sheffield City Council are now going to spend the same amount of money as Housing Associations spend on improving, modernising and repairing their properties? There is no comparison between the standard of most council housing stock and that provided by the various Housing associations in the city. Unless the council are prepared to improve the standard and quality of their housing, it would be a disgrace for their tenants to be charged the same rent as a tenant in an equivalent decent, well maintained, modern housing association property.

Not only are council homes ill-maintained with repairers calling when it suits them if at all (I hear they're paid for each visit rather than the completion of the job); but Liberata are doing a pretty good job making problems from nothing.

BEWARE if you ever have to take proof of evidence in claiming for any rent/poll tax benefits in cases of unemployment or sickness, keep and file any receipts of such photo-copied documentation. Even when you think your claim or problem has been sorted DO NOT throw those receipts away as you won't have a leg to stand on should your problem rear up a couple of years later.

If you don't agree with their 'advice' as to how much and when to pay it please get down to your local Citizen's Advice bureau as Area Housing and Liberata will pass you back and forth forever.
If you have elderly relatives who are informed of arrears - get their receipts and letters together and get them some real advice from a CAB in your area. We can't back-claim but they can!!!!

Originally posted by tiffy


BEWARE if you ever have to take proof of evidence in claiming for any rent/poll tax benefits in cases of unemployment or sickness, keep and file any receipts of such photo-copied documentation. Even when you think your claim or problem has been sorted DO NOT throw those receipts away as you won't have a leg to stand on should your problem rear up a couple of years later.

We can't back-claim but they can!!!!


this is fair warning from tiffy

liberata are the most incompetant organisation ive ever come across,backed up by useless area housing staff that stand in front of their sign saying treat them with respect while talking to you like you are scum.

as i mentioned in another thread,we have just completed paying off arrears which has took 12 months,all down to our good friends at liberata and a certain area housing office.

did you know that getting receipt from the housing office is NO proof that liberata has received the paper work.

and as for them back claiming,yes weve spent the last twelve months reminding ourselves every week.

theyve fiancially crippled us..... thanks for nothing i say

oops ...financially that should be

I recently received a letter - 'Thankyou for completing a "Tell us what you think" form regarding Council Benefits. My main concern is that you feel that there is no guidance or advice available to help claimants overcome any problems they may encounter. I should point out that there is an appointment system in place whereby you can see a Benefits Advisor at a Local Area Housing Officer to discuss any aspect of your claim'.

I have been backwards and forwards since 2001 attempting to sort my problem out which has entailed producing the same documentation over and over for them to photo-copy. Liberata send me to the rents team at my local Area office and they send me right back saying it's not their department. So where's all this advice I'm supposed to have been given during my appointments with 'Benefits Advisors'? I have come to the conclusion that all this is simply to break people into paying more money than they should. My worry is for the elderly, the young and those who work and can't take time to sort it - do they soon feel defeated and pay up?

I did once get to see a 'nice' person. I asked this person a question - What happens when I leave here after this appointment, is my information filed correctly and dealt with by someone in a back room or do you, yourself continue with my case to try and work out what and where things went wrong?
The answer - no, we just add the information to your file.