We know that some of our tenants maybe struggling financially at the moment. The cost of living crisis is having a financial impact on everyone. If you are struggling to pay your rent or household bills, a range of financial help, support and advice is available in Perth and Kinross.
If you have built up any rent arrears you should call us straight away. We can offer you a range of advice and support including referrals to make sure your income is maximised and consider other financial support like our Tenancy Sustainment Fund.
It's vital you don't ignore your arrears, they can build up quickly and can become very difficult to pay back. If you are struggling to pay your rent or we have tried to contact you because you already have arrears please get in touch. We can discuss an affordable repayment plan and can put you in contact with our agencies who are here to help.
You may be entitled to housing benefit which could help with the cost of your rent.
Tenancy Sustainment Fund
You may also qualify for help through our Tenancy Sustainment Fund.
If you been paying your rent arrears for three months or more you may be eligible for help from the Fund.
You can download and complete this form yourself (PDF, 124 KB) and return it to us at rentarrears@pkc.gov.uk. Alternatively you can give us a call on 01738 476000 (option 2) and we will do it for you.
In some cases we will match the payments you have made towards your arrears, or pay a percentage of them.
Watch this short video where a tenant describes how we helped them when they got in touch about their arrears:
In this video, our Housing Officer Leigh Thow explains how your housing staff can help if you find yourself in arrears or struggling to pay your rent:
You can also use the following links to contact us:
- Rent - HousingRents@pkc.gov.uk
- Housing Benefit - HBenquiries@pkc.gov.uk
- General Enquiries - Locality Housing Teams
It's always better to seek help before debt becomes a problem. Check our Cost of Living support webpage to find out more information on the range of financial support and help available in Perth and Kinross.
Other local financial support
The Contact the Welfare Rights Team is available to ensure that the residents of Perth and Kinross are not missing out on their entitlement to benefits and other related help. The team provides a free, confidential and impartial benefits advice, information and appeal representation service. Call them on 01738 476900 or email WelfareRights@pkc.gov.uk
Perth and Kinross Citizens Advice Bureau provides free, confidential, impartial and independent advice for all those who live or work in Perth and Kinross.
Perth and Kinross Credit Union offers saving schemes such as the Budget Card Account to help manage your money and ensure that bills are paid. The Budget Card Account (PDF, 704 KB) has been introduced to make controlling your finances easier. The Credit Union also offers a range of ethical financial services such as low-interest loans.
National Debtline Scotland has a free telephone helpline providing advice on budgeting and managing finances. Call 0808 808 4000, Monday to Friday between 9am to 9pm (Saturday 9.30am to 1pm). You can also chat or email them through their website.
There is also a wide range of cost of living support available in Perth and Kinross.