Two years ago my wife took out an agreement with Tesco whereby they sold her a phone and signed a direct debit for £10 per month which was doubled by Tesco effectively giving her £20 credit. Because the quality of the phone was not good she stopped using it and stopped the D/D. Tesco wrote to say that she was in breach of a credit agreement (it was in fact not a credit agreement but a D/D to pay for atop up each month on a 'pay as you go' agreement). They duly reported this to Equifax and we objected. They agreed it was not a credit agreement 'as such' but told us that the entry must remain because we had brokren our agreement. Eventually they agreed that they would look at the situation. Last month we were refused credit for a very important requirement and on checking with Equifax there was still the entry which Tesco had placed. Is this legal and if not, claim compensation for loss of facilities and defamation?

Hello guys i really need some advice please. i was claiming jsa but decided to sign off and go self employed. I phoned the jobcentre up and and advised them of this. no fault of my own i had to sign back on so i made a rapid reclaim online. we went to jobcentre and filled in forms and have been signing on for months now they owe us around two months money. I contacted them asking why we had not been paid they said our claim had been stopped as I did not advice them that i was self employed. they eventually admitted that I did intact call them and the person did not close my old claim down and i had started a new claim this has tricked the system. It now transpires that the jobcentre have lost our claim i did online and cant gave us any money due to there computer system. we got told that if we could go and fill in a new fast claim that should sort it out i did this but then got a call saying that they have lost the main full claim and they will try and trace it. The problem i have is we have not had any money and i have had to borrow cash from father they say they cant pay us any money at all not even a emergency loan. They are saying that i might have to do a full claim yet again. cos they have lost it. I am sure what to do do i go to the press and report them to the information commissioner our data being lost no one can help us its been to team leaders still no joy any advice would be fantastic and i am grateful for any help

My son left home about 18 months ago. Since then I have numerous problems With D.C.A,s I have managed to stop the telephone calls etc. But I must get between 1 to 5 letters a week from various D.C.A,s. My son does not appear on the electoral roll. I send all letters back unopened marked NOT AT THIS ADDRESS. But still they arrive. Can I write to the C.R.A,s and ask that any links be removed in relation to my son living at my address, or is a more complex solution involved.

To cut a long story short, I had 2 council tax liability orders which had been passed onto Rossendales (£449 and £1465). As I did not want to deal with Rossendales and would not let their bailiff into my property to discuss payment options, I was in contact with the council to ask them to take back the debt and I would pay them £100 per month. However, the council refused to take back the debt and I had another visit from the bailiff in charge Mr Jones. I did not let him enter my property, but he had a levy on my car and was threatening to take it unless I paid a substantial amount and set up a payment plan for the remainder. I phoned the council while he was outside with his colleague, to notify them and ask them once more to take back the debt, but had no luck. So after speaking to Mr Jones for a few minutes, he agreed that if I could clear the £449 order, and setup a payment arrangement of £100 per month then he would not take the car. As he put me on the spot, I continued to pay the £449 and he set up the payment arrangement, we agreed on a payment date, etc. Anyway, a few days later I receive a letter from rossendale, a Notice Of Commital Action, stating that I have failed to make payment arrangements I have 7 days to pay the full £1465. I could not get through to Rossendales, and left a voicemail on Mr Jones' mobile, but no reply. So, about a week later I receive another letter, a Notice Of Required Financial Information, with an enclosed means test form. I then called Rossendales to explain the whole situation and they advise me that there was no payment arrangement on this account and that I need to fill out the means test form with a payment offer. The problem I now have, is that I have had an attachment to earnings order before, and even though my outgoings matched my income, they took the full amount possible each month which amounted to £400-£500. If this happened, I would not be able to afford my other monthly bills and would start to get behind with the current years council tax, amongst other things. Do you have any advice for me, or should I just fill the form out and hope that they can agree to my offer of £100 per month?

Hi boys and girls, Need some of you expert and wise advice please. I have been dealing with Cabot for the last couple of years for a debt they bought from Barclaycard. Barclaycard has marked my report with settled. Recently I have got a credit report and have noticed that they have been marking it with AP every month. I also have been paying Llyods and they do not do this. Cabot phoned me and I asked the question about marking my credit report with AP, Cabot said they were doing this correctly. I asked "if You bought the Dept then and then agreed to accept my payment then this is a new agreement to which I am honouring. He kept talking about special agreement and they were entitled to do this. I asked about a signed copy of my agreement with them and they said I have no signed agreement with them. I was also not notified that they would mark my credit report. They bought the debt whilst I was paying the agreed amount and said they had to honour it. To my eyes I am paying a new agreement therefore I am doing nothing to warrant an AP on my credit record. I understand, I may be wrong I have two questions: Can they keep putting AP on my credit report? Can they request new income and outgoing form when they want? Thank you Blue

Hi, My boyfriend and I had decided to move in together and had found an ideal property for us and our 3 children that we have between us. Upon finding the property, we were very upfront with the lettings agent and disclosed to them that my boyfriend had been discharged from bankruptcy in July 2012. They relayed this to the landlord who said he was happy to still proceed with all the referencing checks necessary. When my boyfriends credit check came back, the letting agent informed us that there were some problems with it. We signed up and downloaded the credit report that they used and noticed things on there that due to his previous bankruptcy should not have been on the report. (They do not appear on more reputable credit checking agency reports). We informed the letting agent and proved to them that they should not have appeared. The letting agent knowingly passed on this false information to the landlord who has subsequently refused us the property (even though he knew about the bankruptcy prior to referencing) We have "failed" their credit checks and so our money goes to the landlord. Forgetting about the legalities off knowingly passing on false information that has been used discriminatorily, this whole situation has left us severely out of pocket hence hindering us from finding another property and quite frankly has upset me to no end. Does anyone have any advice on where we stand legally regarding getting our money back. The agents say we need to seek it from the credit check agency, but at the end of the day they employed that service.....if I find a hole in a jumper I take it back to the shop, not the factory it came from! Many thanks

Hi all, first post so please bear with me. I have had a letter from HRMC "Notice Requiring Information or Evidence" for the Tax Credits award 2012-2013 as a single person. They have said they have credit checked and found that "there MAY be Mr *********" living at your address. asking me to send bills etc.... Has anyone else had a letter of this type? Quite worried having had a quick read, I think I have not informed them of a change, he was a boyfriend I had for 7 months although financially he gave me nothing. He paid for Sky/phoneand internet combination (because I never had it) but everything else is in my name. Can anyone advise please thanks in advance.

Having seen this thread (and this post in particular ) http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?396732-Lost-POPLA-appeal-what-are-my-chances-in-court&p=4284319&viewfull=1#post4284319 I am wondering what chance I have of appealing via the county court since I did provide proof of purchase and the council were in no way at a loss as I had proof of purchase I went through the informal, then formal NTO procedure, and onto PATAS (upheld) believing the council had retained a ticket I had purchased in order to check why it did not remain on the windscreen after applying. After no budging from their side I was eventually threatened with bailiffs and a seizure of a vehicle to cover their 'losses' and paid up approximately £400 on top of the original penalty. Now following a FOI request it turns out the Council policy did not inspect the ticket, nor send it off for evaluation, their standard procedure confirmed in writing being to destroy any and all original correspondence sent to them (including the ticket), and retaining only electronic copies, which is absolutely no use to anyone when they have been asked to check for a defective product supplied / purchased for the purpose of 'pay and display'. Does anyone else know if I migh have recourse using the courts ? I have already been through to the LGO, who (despite confirming the PATAS procedure should not have been the next step, even though it was suggestd as only route by the Council) they have their hands tied in contractural red tape. Any parking legal eagle I should call, to check on probability of success ?

HOMELESSNESS INFORMATION GLASGOW ONLY Document Source: Glasgow Homeless Information Page EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION Community Casework Teams You can make a homelessness application at any of the Community Casework Teams in the city. You do not have to make your application at the office closest to where you would normally stay: whichever Casework Team you go to, they must allow you to make your application there. There are a number of them across Glasgow, and they are open Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.00 pm or you can phone them between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ North West Community Casework Service 30 Mansion Street Glasgow G22 5SZ Phone: 0141 276 6169 Fax: 0141 276 6172 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ South Community Casework Service 1st Floor, TwoMax Building, 187 Old Rutherglen Road, Glasgow G5 0RE Phone: 0141 276 8201, Fax: 0141 276 8278 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ North East Community Casework Service 33 Burnmouth Road, Glasgow G33 4ST Phone: 0141 276 6153 & 0141 276 6160 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Asylum and Refugee Support Team The Hamish Allan Centre, 180 Centre Street, Glasgow, G5 8EE Freephone 0800 838 502, or phone 0141 287 1800 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Prison Casework Service Social Work Unit, HMP Barlinnie, Lee Avenue, Glasgow G33 2QX Phone: 0141 770 2123, Fax: 0141 770 9808 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Hamish Allan Centre - Out of Hours Service 4.00pm to 9.00am Mondays to Fridays 24 hours on Saturdays and Sundays 24 hours on public holidays Between 4.00pm and 9.00am, you can still make a homelessness application at the Hamish Allan Centre. During office hours, you will be redirected to one of the Community Casework Teams (see above). The Hamish Allan Centre is at 180 Centre Street, Glasgow, G5 8EE Freephone 0800 838 502, or phone 0141 287 1800 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOOD City Centre ChananGlasgow Tower Block, 162 St Vincent Lane, G2 7LQ Tel: 0141 243 2336 Email: hughandmaggs@btinternet.com Monday 7.30-8.30pm Free food from mini bus at corner of Blytheswood St/ Cadogan St _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Glasgow City Mission 20 Crimea Street City Centre G2 8PW Tel: 0141 221 2630 Email: info@glasgowcitymission.com Evening Drop In, 8pm-10pm, Monday to Friday Foodbank, 10am-12pm, Monday & Wednesday _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Glasgow Asylum Destitution Action Network Tel: GADAN on 07961 098430 Email: destitution.action@gmail.com Tel: Night Shelter 07929 852264 Email: glasgownightshelter@gmail.com Open 7 days, 8pm-8am NOTE: Destitute asylum seekers and refugees who cannot access other services - referral only _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Loaves & Fishes Oasis Cafe Renfield St Stephens Church Centre 260 Bath Street G2 4H2 Tel: 01355 224 375 Email: enquiries@loavesandfishes.org.uk Sit down hot meal, Monday & Thursday, 6pm Food parcels distributed on a Thursday night only _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lodging House Mission 35 East Campbell Street G1 5DT Tel: 0141 552 0285 Email: enquiries@lhm-glasgow.org.uk Free & Low Cost Meals, Monday to Friday, 8am - 10am & 12pm - 2pm _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Wayside Club 32 Midland Street G1 4PR Tel: 0141 221 0169 Email: waysideglasgow@gmail.com Open 7 days, Hot food & drinks, 7.30pm-10pm Saturdays, 1pm-4pm _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Anniesland Glasgow Vineyard Church (Also Storehouse Foodbank) 4 Linden Street Anniesland G13 1DQ Tel: 0141 237 1370 Email: compassion@glasgowvineyard.org Saturday, 10am-12pm, Food & toiletries (Voucher Needed) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bridgegate The Frederic Ozanam Centre 9 Bridgegate G1 5HX Tel: 07940 311 340 Sunday, 12pm _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Broomhill Glasgow Northwest Foodbank (Also Broomhill Foodbank Centre) Broomhill Community Church 1 Norby Road G11 7BN Tel: 07787 334012 Email: info@glasgowNW.foodbank.org.uk Monday, 4pm-6pm (Voucher Needed) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cardonald Glasgow South West Food bank (Hillington Park Church) Berryknowes Road G52 2UD Tel: 07708 504 130 Email: info@glasgowsw.foodbank.org Friday, 10am-1pm (Voucher Needed) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cowcaddens Central and West Integration Network Garnethill Multicultural Centre, 21 Rose Street G3 6RE Tel: 0141 573 0978 Email: florence@cwin.org.uk Friday, 2pm-4pm (Destitute asylum seekers) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dennistoun The Everlasting Food Bank 12 Whitehill Street G31 2HL Tel: 0798 302 1283 Email: teamglasgow@gmail.com _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Gorbals Bridging the Gap Greyfriars Centre 270 Ballater Street G5 9LJ Tel: 0141 418 0241 Email: secretary@bridging-the-gap.org Monday to Thursday, 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-5pm (Local people in need/ people seeking asylum/ refugees) Destiny Angels 37 South Portland Street G5 9JL Tel: 0141 429 8757 Email: angels@destiny-church.com Wednesday & Friday, 11am - 3pm _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Govan Govan and Craigton Integration Network Riverside Hall 29-31 Clydebrae Street G51 2AJ Tel: 0141 445 3718 Email: owen@gcin.org.uk Wednesday, 12.30pm-2.30pm (Destitute asylum seekers) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ PERSONAL CARE There are facilities for personal care such as showers and laundry at the Lodging House Mission, The Marie Trust and the City Mission. Lodging House Mission, 35 East Campbell Street, G1 5DT The Marie Trust, 32 Midland Street, G1 4PR The City Mission, 20 Crimea Street, G2 8PT _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ RSVP - ROUGH SLEEPING & VULNERABLE PEOPLE Rough Sleeping & Vulnerable People (RSVP, previously called "Glasgow Street Service" and also known as the "Street Team") is a street outreach team which works with people aged 16 and over. RSVP provides advice and support to access accommodation and other services such as medical, addiction and mental health services. They offer practical help and emotional support to those sleeping rough, at risk of sleeping rough or becoming homeless and those having difficulties accessing other services. Where can you find RSVP? ** City centre streets ** Soup kitchens ** Day centres ** Red light areas (male and female) ** Bus stations ** Train stations ** Through other services such as the Hamish Allan Centre You can contact RSVP by calling 0800 027 7466.This is a free phone number - it will not cost you anything to call from a landline, but you probably will be charged by your mobile phone service provider if you call from your mobile phone. The freephone number is available 24 hours a day, every day. It can be used for Street Outreach and Crisis Response. RSVP also provide a drop-in advice and information service: The Hub 72 London Road Glasgow G1 5NP Telephone: 0141 552 4164 Email: hub@glasgowsimon.com _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ HOUSING ADVICE Glasgow City Council has a Housing Options Guide available for people to access information about the range of housing available in Glasgow. You can find outmore information on the Housing Options Guide website. Glasgow Shelter Housing Aid Centre works with anyone who is homeless, threatened with homelessness, or has a housing problem. They offer housing advice, advocacy, and legal representation on a wide variety of housing problems. Homelessness Information - GLASGOW ONLY.pdf Before Printing the PDF TIP If you DO NOT wish to print Page 1 (Cover Page) of the PDF, please ensure to do the following: Ensure you go to your Printer Settings and set it to 'Print from Page 2' (this way Page 1 (Cover Page) should not print out). Note: This will save you Ink & Paper

HOW TO REQUEST YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION GUIDESubject access request) INFORMATION COMMISSIONER OFFICE (ICO) From this Link: http://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/personal_information

HOW TO ACCESS INFORMATION FROM A PUBLIC BODY GUIDE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER OFFICE (ICO) This is the Link: http://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/official_information

HOW TO ACCESS INFORMATION FROM A PUBLIC BODY GUIDE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER OFFICE (ICO) This is the Link: http://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/official_information

I made some posts on another forum, but didn't really get anywhere. I will copy and paste the relevant posts I made, to avoid any possible confusion, in new posts below this one.

Hi I have been a member of the Noddle Credit report site since it started, recently paid £10 to get additional information but for 3 ays now I am able to log onto the site but just get an apology saying they cannot get my report. I have emailed a number of times to ask why but am getting no replies??? Anyone else getting this? It has been a very useful site and feel a little bit disappointed this is happening and getting no replies? Cheers Lorna

Could someone please answer a question, must an account be terminated by the OC before it can be sold to a third party?

Guide to taking in a Lodger What is a Lodger? A Lodger is a person who rents a room in your home without having exclusive rights to any part of the property. Usually there is a formal arrangement in place that sets out the rooms that the Lodger can use and those that they share with the rest of the household (e.g. the kitchen, living room and bathroom) for an agreed payment. Close family members such as a parent, step parent or parent-in-law, a son or daughter, step son or step daughter, a son-in-law or daughter-in-law, a brother or sister are not normally classified as Lodgers so you need to be fully aware of this. Do I need Permission to take in a Lodger? As a Private Home Owner --You may need to inform your Mortgage Provider. --You may need to inform your Insurance Provider. --You may need to inform the Local Council (Council Tax). --You may need to inform DWP if you Claim any Benefits. As a Council Housing / Housing Association / Housing Trust etc Tenant (Social Housing) --You may need to Request Permission from your Landlord to have a Lodger. --You may need to inform your Insurance Provider. --You may need to inform the Local Council (Council Tax). --You may need to inform DWP if you Claim any Benefits. We would recommend that you always get Permission in Writing from the Landlord. Do I need to provide a Furnished Room? To comply with the Governments Rent a Room scheme to earn a tax free income you must provide a Furnished Room. How much can I charge a Lodger for a Room? This will depend on the area where you live and what condition your property is in. Have a look on www.SpareRoom.co.uk at other rooms available in your area to get an idea what the going rate is likely to be. How do I Evict a Lodger? It is easier to evict a Lodger than a Tenant but you will still need to give ‘reasonable notice’ to the Lodger if you intend to evict. We would always recommend a written agreement between you and your Lodger(s) so the conditions are agreed upon in advance. Will I be Taxed on my Income and do I have to Declare it? Under the Government’s Rent a Room scheme you can earn up to £7,500 a year tax free by taking in a lodger and, provided you don’t earn more than this, you won’t need to declare it. Important if you do earn over the amount you must inform your Local Tax Office ASAP. Do I need to Comply with the New tenancy Deposit Laws? The law only applies to Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) so you can take a deposit without having to use the tenancy deposit scheme. (Ensure you have a Lodger Agreement signed by Lodger and Yourself) Do I need to Comply with Right to Rent Laws? As of 1st February 2016, the law requires everyone renting out property in England to check whether their tenants are legally allowed to live in the UK, regardless of the type of agreement, whether they're written or verbal. (this includes Lodgers so you need to be aware of this) Right to rent checks introduced for landlords in England Right to rent document checks: a user guide A short guide on right to rent Right to rent checks: what they mean for you Check your tenant's right to rent The PDF below contains the above information but also: 1. Lodger Agreement 2. Lodger Interview Form 3. Inventory List 4. Example Notice to Quit letter. Guide to Taking in a Lodger.pdf

LODGER INFORMATION PACK ALWAYS SEEK ADVICE AND CONSENT IN WRITING FROM YOUR LANDLORD This pack is intended to be used by council and housing association tenants who are thinking about letting a spare bedroom in their home to a lodger. The pack takes the form of: Ø A series of questions and answers about things you need to think about and do before you let your spare room to a lodger. Ø A lodger licence agreement which you can use to establish an agreement between yourself and your lodger. Lodgers some basic information What is a Lodger? A lodger is a person who rents a room in someone else’s home. Usually there is a formal arrangement in place that sets out the rooms that the lodger can use and those that they share with the rest of the household (e.g. the kitchen, living room and bathroom) for an agreed payment. Close family members such as a parent, step parent or parent-in-law, a son or daughter, step son or step daughter, a son-in-law or daughter-in-law, a brother or sister are not normally classified as lodgers. Do I need permission to take in a lodger? YES As a Tenant of a Social Landlord (either a council or a housing association) if you hold a secure tenancy you have the right to take in a lodger, your landlord needs to provide you with their consent in writing. If you are an assured tenant it is highly likely you have the right to take in a lodger but you will require the housing associations consent. Ensure you check your Tenancy Agreement for any clauses stating you cannot have lodgers. Always get written consent from your landlord and keep it safe. In both instances it is a good idea to let your landlord know that you are thinking about taking in a lodger, as they might be able to offer you help and advice. Things to think about when you consider taking in a lodger Before you ask for your landlord’s agreement to take in a lodger, you might want to think about whether you’re prepared to have a lodger living in your home and whether it’s right for you. Having a lodger living with you means that you’ll be sharing your home with a stranger. If you live alone this might mean that you will have some company but it also means that’ll you’ll be giving up some of the privacy you enjoy at the moment. You need to ask yourself whether you are prepared to do this? If you have children you might want to consider whether you want a stranger living in your home, particularly if you don’t know a great deal about their background.As a parent or guardian of a child or children, your first duty to them is to ensure that they have somewhere safe to live. If you do want to have a lodger living with you, providing you with another source of income, it is important that you choose who lives with you very carefully. Getting ready to take in a lodger Who should I inform that I’m going to be taking in a lodger? If you are thinking about taking in a lodger and after you have received consent from your landlord, you should contact your Home Contents Insurer and inform them that you intend to take in a lodger. They may want to obtain certain information from your potential lodger and they might in some circumstances adjust your insurance premiums. It is important that you contact your insurer and advise them that you are taking in a lodger. If you don’t and you make a claim on the policy you might find out that the contents of your home might are not covered. Once you have taken in a lodger you need to let the following organisations know: Ø Council Tax – if you are a single person and receive a single person discount on your Council Tax you need to let the Council Tax section know about your lodger. If your lodger is a student they will not be considered to be a full time occupant and you will not lose your single person supplement. Ø Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)– if you receive benefits you will need to let the DWP know that you have a lodger and the amount you are paid each week by your lodger. If you don’t advise the DWP that you are receiving additional income from a lodger, you will be committing benefit fraud. Ø Housing Benefit – if you are on a low income and receive Housing and Council Tax Benefit, you will need to let the Housing Benefit Team at your council know that you have a lodger and the amount you are paid each week. If you don’t advise the Housing Benefit Team that you are receiving additional income from a lodger, you will be committing benefit fraud. What condition should my home be in? When you let your spare room to a lodger, your home should be clean, carpeted and in good decorative order throughout. The spare room should be bright and cheerful and spotlessly clean. If it is not it is unlikely that someone will want to come and live in your home. You might want to hang pictures or posters in the spare room or allow the lodger to hang their own pictures of posters. If you don’t want the lodger to use nails or blue tac, you should provide a noticeboard or pinboard. You should ake photographs of the room that the lodger will use before you let it, to record its condition. What furniture should I provide my lodger with? As you are going to be letting the room to the lodger on the basis that it is furnished, you will need to ensure that you have the right furniture in the room. The furniture you provide in the room will depend on the size of the room but you should provide the following: Ø A comfortable bed and mattress. It is a good idea to fit a waterproof cover over the mattress. Ø A desk or table with lamp and chair. Ø Shelves on the wall or a small bookcase. Ø A bedside table and lamp. Ø A wardrobe and chest of drawers. All of the furniture you provide must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings(Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988. If you’re buying new furniture this won’t be a problem, but if you’re using older furniture it is a good idea to check for labels to ensure furniture is compliant with the regulations. (Labels can be found on items such as padded headboards, sofas, mattresses, pillows, cushions, cloth covers on seats, curtains). It is best to buy new electrical items and make sure that you keep the receipts and instructions. If you can’t afford new items, you should get them tested by a qualified electrician but this could be expensive. You will also need to provide the lodger with access to pots and pans, cups, plates and cutlery and you should make some space for them to store their food in your kitchen cupboards and fridge and freezer. You should provide an inventory (a written record) of the items you provide the lodger with, noting their condition. You can find a copy of an inventory at the end of this pack. Should I establish house rules? It is important to set some rules about what you will and will not allow in your home, so before you let your spare room to a lodger you need to give this some thought. For example you might not want a lodger to smoke in the property or to keep a pet. Whilst you don’t want to develop a list of rules which is too long you will want to set out the standards of cleanliness and tidiness you expect of your lodger. You will want to tell a potential lodger about your house rules when you meet for the first time, as they need to know whether they would be comfortable living in your home. Should I use a lodger agreement? It is important that you and your lodger sign a lodger agreement, so that your rights and responsibilities as the landlord and the rights and responsibilities of the lodger are clearly set out. It is also important that you sign a lodger agreement if your lodger needs to claim Housing Benefit to help them pay their rent. Your lodger will need to provide a copy of the agreement to the Housing Benefit Team. A copy of a Lodger Agreement is part of this pack. You and your lodger should sign two copies and each keep a copy. How much should I charge my lodger? You can charge whatever rent you feel a lodger will be willing to pay. One approach is to look at adverts in newspaper and on the internet and charge an amount that reflects the average weekly rent in your local area. Things to bear in mind when you’re setting your rent: Ø If you’re a taxpayer you can earn £4,250 each year (or £81.73 a week) tax free under the Government’s Rent a Room Scheme. If you receive more income than this you will need to declare it on a tax return Ø If you are thinking of letting your spare room to someone who receives Housing Benefit to help them pay the rent,you need to be aware that if the rent that you charge is greater than the rent allowed by Housing Benefit, your lodger will have to fund the shortfall themselves. You can ask your Housing Benefit Team for the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate which will tell you the maximum rent that your lodger will be able to claim. Should I charge the lodger a deposit? A deposit is a payment taken by the landlord to hold as insurance against the lodger damaging the property or failing to pay their rent. If the lodger leaves the property in the same condition as you let it to them and they did not develop any rent arrears, the deposit needs to be returned to them when they leave your home. It is a good idea to ask your lodger for a deposit. However, you must remember that when your lodger gives you their deposit, you are holding it on their behalf and it would be a good idea to put the deposit in a savings account. For lodgers on low incomes or benefits, affording a deposit could be a problem. Some organisations provide bonds or guarantees for lodgers, which will cover any damage or loss you experience should you need to make a claim. You need to consider whether you consider this to be an acceptable form of security. Finding a Lodger How should I go about finding a lodger? There are many ways of finding a lodger and these depend on where you live and the typeof lodger you are willing to have living in your home. You need to think carefully about who you want to live in your home as a lodger. Renting a room is a business transaction between you (the landlord) and the lodger. If you rely on word of mouth to find a lodger, this is likely to mean that the lodger is a friend of a friend or a friend of a family member. This might cause you some difficulties if you have to ask the lodger to leave, for example if they fail to pay or they behave badly. If you live in an area where there is a university you might want to advertise for a lodger at the accommodation office of the university. Please note they might want to inspect your home before they advertise your home to students. You might want to consider putting an advert on notice boards in colleges and place adverts in shop windows in areas where students live. If you live close to a hospital you might want to consider contacting the hospital to find out whether they maintain a list of lodgings for staff and relatives of patients and whether you can go on that list. You will also want to put adverts on notice boards in the hospital. You can advertise for lodgers in local newspapers, in local shops and on the internet. There are a number of internet sites which aim to help you find a lodger for example http://www.spareroom.co.uk/ and http://uk.easyroommate.com/. You could consider using these. In Wales a website has been developed to match landlords with lodgers called House Share Wales http://www.housesharewales.co.uk/. Not only does House Share Wales provide you with an internet site to find a tenant, they also provide accommodation brokers who can direct you to organisations who can help you putan advert on the website and help you find an appropriate lodger. The brokerfor North East Wales and Powys is based in Cefni Lettings and can be contacted on 01341 423266. How should I select a lodger? It is always a good idea to meet with people who respond to your adverts for a lodger. The meeting should ideally take place in your home. This gives the potential lodger the opportunity to meet you and look around your home to find out if your home is somewhere they want to live. The meeting gives you an opportunity to explain the basic rules of the house and find out whether they are comfortable with them. The meeting also gives you the opportunity to find out whether they’re someone you’re happy to share your home with. You might want to meet your potential lodger with someone present whose judgement you trust. Their views might be important to you when you make your decision. When you meet the lodger it is a good idea to gather some basic information about them,such as where they live, their contact address, their telephone number. Your home contents insurer might want you to obtain certain information from a potential lodger. Also you might want to ask to see some form of identification and find out how they intend to pay the rent. The form which is included in this pack will help you record these details. When you meet a potential lodger you will also want to ask them to provide you with 2 references. It is important before you agree to let your spare room to someone, that you contact their referees to find out a little more about them. You should ring everyone you meet to let them know your decision. The Money Can my lodger claim Housing Benefit if they have a low income or receive benefits? If your lodger is on a low income or claims benefits, they are able to claim Housing Benefit to help them pay their rent. They will need to make a claim for Local Housing Allowance (this is the term used for the type of Housing Benefit payment the lodger will receive). To be able to claim Local Housing Allowance your lodger will need to be able to show the Housing Benefit Team that he or she has a formal written agreement which enables him/her to occupy your home as a lodger. It is very important that you complete two copies of the lodger agreement and give a copy to the lodger, to enable him/her to present it to the Housing Benefit Team. Your lodger will have their Local Housing Allowance paid direct to them and they will be responsible for passing the payment onto you. Recoding rent payments You should give your lodger a rent book, or a written statement that confirms that you have received their rent payments. How will the money I receive affect my tax? Income Tax The Government offers people who have a spare room an incentive to rent their spare room out to a lodger; this is called the Rent a room scheme. This allows people who let out a spare room in their home to a lodger to receive £4,250 a year tax free. You can find more information about the Rent a Room scheme by clicking on the following link. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/TaxOnPropertyAndRentalInc ome/DG_4017804 If your income from your lodger is less than £4,250 a year you do not have to complete a tax return. If your income from the lodger is more than £4,250, you may have to complete a tax return. Council Tax If you currently live alone you should receive the single person discount on your Council Tax. The single person discount is 25% of your Council Tax bill. You will need to tell the Council’s Council Tax Team that you have taken in a lodger. In most cases this means that you will lose your single person discount, unless your lodger is in one of the groups who are disregarded. You can find out which groups are disregarded by contacting your Council’s Council Tax Team or following this link http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/YourlocalcouncilandCounci lTax/CouncilTax/DG_10037422 How will the money I receive affect my benefits? If you receive benefits, you must inform the DWP and your Council’s Housing Benefit Team that you have taken in a lodger. Failure to do this will mean that you are committing fraud. The benefit payments you receive will be reduced to reflect the additional income you receive from your lodger. If you receive a means tested benefit (Income Support or Income related Employment and Support Allowance or Income based Job Seekers Allowance) the first £20 of income you receive from your lodger will be disregarded and not affect your benefits. Your benefits will be reduced by any income more than the first £20. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE Jane receives Income Support of £100 a week and receives full Housing Benefit to help her pay her rent of £80 a week. She takes in a lodger who pays her £55 each week. When Jane’s benefits are recalculated she receives £65 in Income Support in addition to the £55 rent she receives from her lodger, a total of £120 a week. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are on a low income and claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit the way that your benefits will be adjusted is different. The first £20 of income you receive is disregarded and your Housing Benefit will be reduced by 65p for every £1 you receive over that amount. Your Council Tax entitlement will be reduced by 20p for every £1 you receive over that amount. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE Jane works on a part time basis and receives £20 Housing Benefit each week to help her pay her rent of £80 a week. Jane takes in a lodger who pays her £50 each week. When Jane’s benefits are recalculated her Housing Benefit is reduced to 50p per week. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If I under-occupy my home will taking in a lodger mean that I’m not affected by ‘the bedroom tax’? The answer to this question is usually yes. If, for example, you under-occupy your home by one bedroom and the lodger you rent your spare room to uses your home as their only home, your home will be assessed as being fully occupied, so the amount of Housing Benefit you receive will not be reduced. If you were under-occupying your home by two bedrooms and took in one lodger, you’d be considered to be under-occupying your home by 1 rather than 2 bedrooms and the amount of your rent eligible for Housing Benefit by increase from 75% to 86%. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE Jane receives Income Support of £100 a week and receives full Housing Benefit to help her pay her rent of £80 a week. Jane under-occupies her home by one bedroom and her housing benefit will be reduced by £11.20 each week. She takes in a lodger who pays her £55 each week. When Jane’s benefits are recalculated she receives £65 in Income Support in addition to the £55 rent she receives from her lodger, a total of £120 a week. In addition her Housing Benefit payment covers the whole of her rent, as she is no longer considered to be under-occupying her home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you let your spare room to someone who is not using it as their only home, for example a student or some-one who lodges with you from Monday to Friday and returns home at the weekend, you may still be considered to be under-occupying your home, as the lodger is not using your home as their only home. These rules will change when Universal Credit is introduced. Under the proposed rules any lodger will not count as part of your household which means that you will be affected by the bedroom tax, but you will be able to keep all of the income you receive from lodgers, without it affecting your benefit. Dealing with problems with a lodger How should I deal with a problem lodger? You should try to deal with any problem you have with a lodger at an early stage, for example if they haven’t paid their rent or they are not complying with one of your house rules. You should talk to the lodger and find out why they have broken the agreement. If following your conversation the problem hasn’t been resolved, you should write to your lodger, setting out what the problem is. You need to keep a copy of the letter and make sure that the letter is dated. If after your first letter the problem still hasn’t been resolved you need to try a more formal letter, which says that if things don’t improve you will be asking them to leave. Again you need to make sure that this letter is dated and that you keep a copy. You should also keep a note of all incidents. If your second letter doesn’t work you will need to give your lodger a notice to quit. This is a letter which says that you are giving them a certain amount of time (7, 14 or 28 days’ notice) to leave the property. A sample notice to quit letter is as part of this pack. If the problem is of a far more serious nature, such as violent or criminal behaviour a shorter notice period may be appropriate. In such cases you should contact your local housing office, who will notify you where you can get appropriate advice about ending the lodger agreement. In housing law, lodgers are considered to be ‘excluded occupiers’. This means that they have very few rights and can only stay until their landlord asks them to go. How do I evict a lodger who’s causing me problems? If you have asked your lodger to leave (either by speaking to them or giving them written notice), in the days leading up to the date you want them to leave you should ask them what their arrangements are for leaving your home. If they need a little more time (a few days more to make alternative arrangements) you should consider agreeing to this. If they state that they have no intention of moving out you will need to evict them. It is important that you seek legal advice, from your local Housing Options Team or your local Citizens Advice Bureau before taking any action to remove your lodger. A Lodger Agreement, Lodger Interview Form, Inventory Form and example Notice to Quit letter are available in PDF Format at the end of this document and is –APPENDIX 1 LODGER INFORMATION PACK - Social Housing Only ----------.pdf

Sorry if i'm posting in the wrong place. I looked everywhere. Hoping someone can help. I received an invoice from the council in November 2010 stating I owed £146 for rechargeable repairs to a councill property I left in August 2010. I did not pay it as I was just too broke. Heard absolutely nothing for over 2years then fast forward to April 2013 I receive a demand for payment for £1503 for rechargeable repairs to the property and if I didn't pay within 7 days county court action would commence against me. I emailed the council asking 1) Why has this bill increased so dramatically 2) Why have I not been contacted at all in 2 1/2years for payment. I received an email back from the council informing me that I had not been contacted for this long time frame as it was with another department for collection and the department now sending me the bill has just had it passed to them and as regards to the breakdown of costs she has put my account on hold for 6 weeks so I can be sent a breakdown of where it came from. (No explanation as to why it has increased so dramatically) She CC'd the lady who would be sending me the breakdown. So in 7 days time the 6 weeks will have passed and as of yet I have received no breakdown. Basically I just want to know what my options are? I agree that probably I owe around £146 as I know when I moved out I left my bed there and a door was broken on a kitchen cupboard so I guess I am responsible for that. But what they say it is, £1503 I cant afford that! Also can they just take me to court even though they have not attempted to collect anything or make contact with me for 2 1/2 years? And what if they do not send me the breakdown? Any advice please. Thank You

Hi all, I'm having a bit of a battle with Santander over a number of accounts I've held over many years under their various guises. I've got a Santander current account that I've only had for a few months, an A&L Cashplus account I've had since the mid 1990s (but not accessed for a few years), and a number of various store cards with different companies that have ultimately been taken over by Satan's bank. I put in a SAR about 3 months ago. Santander sent an illegible copy of some T&Cs and a poorly scanned copy of the agreement for one storecard, and a good copy of another agreement but T&Cs that were clearly out of date (it's a Burton account from the early 1990s but Santander are listed as the bank, not 1st Personal Bank who owned it at the time). I let them know on expiry that they'd not supplied sufficient data and that they were in breach of my SAR as they'd not complied in time. Today I got another letter back, with just one agreement (the same one they sent last time) and another copy of the Santander T&Cs. Nothing regarding the accounts that are still open, however they've advised me that they've passed my request onto the banking department. They've stated that there is not a legal requirement to retain data over 6 years, however I've not hinted at this. I believe in one of my replies I stated that they are to supply ALL data they hold on me, but it seems that they've decided that they can interpret this to only supplying data within the 6 years. However, I have them on this as nothing has been sent regarding my Santander current account. I note on here and on MSE Santander normally end up sending the missing data once they get court papers, one of my work colleagues being one of them. I was wondering if anyone who has had success with them could advise how far back they hold data for. I've got a feeling they're using the 6 year advice to get out of supplying any data that would ultimately cost them. Alternatively is it better to send a SAR to Genworth, as it appears that in PPI cases they've been the ones to pay out?

After a couple of successes where I had irrefutable paperwork (Loan docs etc), I'm now turning to the harder cases. NB More details of wins to follow when other issues outstanding with that provider resolved. This is on a card account, commenced in say 1995 (details obscured for obvious reasons). Have a run of say 12 statements in 1996 showing PPI each month. Balance was never cleared - modest / minimum payments made. Core balance c £500 say. Have a further run of statements from 2000 (similar number). However, by then the balance has more than trebled and core of £1,600, PPI shown each time until it appears account defaulted late 2000 when PPI stops but interest continues and don't use card notes appear on statement. At this time still making modest / minimum payments. Account was settled in full with the aid of a consol loan from another provider in 2001 - and can prove final amount paid. SAR has revealed virtually nothing bar account opening date, total number and value of purchases, total of interest charged etc. My question is how to present a claim, what I can claim. An account reconstruction is out - and I'm also uncertain of total PPI charges levied due to lack of info. I'm happy that mis-selling reasons are valid. It is solely the mechanics I'm interested in. Thanks

Hello All, My partner, kids and I were in an incident back in June last year whereby a large scrap-metal truck crashed into the back of us coming onto a roundabout as he had not been paying attention. He wrote the car off. Complete mess. His insurers (NFU Mutual) have been unable to contact him as he is ignoring all attempts. My partner and I are both using separate firms of solicitors to claim for personal injury as it was quite a severe incident and resulted in my work terminating due to pain in neck and shoulders. My partners solicitors (Wheelers) and insurance firm (Ageas) have both stated that her case has gone "stale" due to NFU being unable to contact the defendant and gain information. However, my own solicitors (Bird & Lovibond) have received notification from NFU that because they are unable to contact the defendant they cannot defend the claim and have admitted liability. I've emailed a copy of this information to my partners solicitors and insurance company but Ageas is claiming that until NFU make a payment to cover their payout (£1200) they will be unable to release her no claims bonus. Is this right? Is there anything we can do? It seems very unfair. I've just bought us a new car but without NCB the insurance is ridiculously high. Has anyone got any thoughts about what we could do to get the NCB back or reduce insurance costs? Thank you!!

I have heard this morning that Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland are making a nationwide request for information surrounding the private parking industry. I am aware that some offices in Scotland have been very pro-active on this issue, however there appears to be a lack of consistency. It will be interesting to see how this pans out as I seem to recall they upset Retail Loss Prevention over similar issues not that very long ago.

Hi, On my credit file there are two defaulted account associated with a linked address. I have no link with this address at all, it is a apartment block up the road from mine that is often mistaken for mine as the addresses appear similar. However, the accounts are mine and they are registered in my name. I know it is a long shot but before i contact them to rectify this would i have anything to argue to try remove these defaults on this basis? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

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Hi everyone, my friend recently applied to their mortgage company for some extra cash to do some home improvements. To their great surprise they were turned down. Nationwide stated that the reason for not getting the extra cash was due to their CRF. After further calls Nationwide finally admitted that the mortgage was in arrears of approx £50. The arrears was due to Nationwide messing up their calculations when they took a short agreed mortgage holiday in 2010. It appears that Nationwide have never mentioned these arrears to my friend before (no letter was sent) and simply posted them on Experian the mortgage was taken out about 10 years ago. My friend agreed to pay these arrears just to put an end to it and maybe get the loan. The OC has agreed that the error was completely theirs. Due to Nationwide's error my friend has been unable to change credit cards etc last year to a 0% deal. So they can show damage to their CRF caused them financial loss. What if any action would you suggest other than a very strongly worded official complaint would be advised? I'm unsure what parts of the CCA actually apply to mortgages would BCOBS be of any use? Reading BCOBS quickly it appears that they have breached by not communication information correctly or even at all. "information to be communicated to banking customers, including appropriate information and statements of account;" Does this seem correct, any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance Pumpytums