If you receive any benefits that go towards your rent there are some important steps you need to take in April.

Housing Benefit

• If you receive housing benefit that is paid directly to you, please tell your local Housing Benefits team that your rent has changed as soon as you can.
• If your Housing Benefit is paid directly to us, we will tell Housing Benefit about the changes.  However, if your new entitlement doesn’t look right, please contact your local Housing Benefit team and Brighter Places. If you are not entitled to full Housing Benefit, please contact us as soon as possible. We can help you understand what you need to pay to prevent your rent account going into arrears.

Universal Credit

• If you receive Universal Credit, you must confirm your housing costs in the ‘to do’ section of your online account before the end of April, or you could miss out on rent money you are entitled to. We will verify your claims. You will receive the ‘to do’ in the first week of April. Please click here to download information to help you complete this.
• If Universal Credit contributes towards your rent and you pay us directly, please call us. We will guide you through the total amount you need to pay for your rent. We can help you understand what you need to pay to prevent your rent account going into arrears.

Standing Order

• If you pay by standing order, please ensure that your bank has instructions to pay the new rent and service charge from April 2026. Please do this at least 10 days before your first payment in April is due.
• Make sure you include your rent reference number, so your payment reaches your account without delay. If you are unsure what this reference is, please contact us.

Direct Debit

• If you pay by Direct Debit, we will update this. We are currently in the process of amending Direct Debits, and you will soon get a letter with your new amount. When you receive your letter and something doesn’t look right, please contact us as soon as possible.
• The only exception to this is for those residents who receive partial housing benefit or partial Universal Credit.  If this applies to you, we will need an update from you to confirm what your new entitlement is from the benefit.

Paying rent monthly

If your rent is charged weekly but you prefer to pay monthly, here is how to work out your monthly rent cost:

Weekly rent x 52 ÷ 12 = monthly amount

We are always here to help with any questions you have about paying your rent, or how to work out what you need to pay.  Just get in touch.

Repayment plan

• If you are currently on a repayment plan for arrears, please make sure your payments are increased in line with your new rent and service charge from April.

Find out more or how to contact us

You can read more about ‘Rent and service charge changes 2026’ here.

We are here to help and provide as much support as possible. If you have any concerns about your rent, please email RentandServiceCharges@brighterplaces.co.uk or call us on 0117 942 4600.