A week in the life of… a tenancy sustainment officer

Tuesday

I’m usually on duty two days a week, and there’s generally three of us on duty at any one time. This week, my days have been Tuesday and Wednesday. Being on duty means that, between 9am and 5pm, I am on call to deal with enquiries from tenants and the PA Housing team regarding any information or support they may need in relation to a tenancy.

Usually, when on duty, I’ll follow up on referrals made the previous day – these could have come from PA Housing colleagues regarding residents who are struggling to pay their rent. I’ll contact the resident directly and talk to them about their support needs. Often, I’ll conduct a full benefit check to ensure the resident is claiming everything they are entitled to.

People often don’t realise their circumstances mean they can claim certain benefits, or they are daunted by the process of applying, so we’re here to help them through that, even joining them on necessary calls if they need that support.

We work with the members of tenants’ households too, supporting people of all ages with everything from Disability Living Allowance claims for children to applications for Pensions Credit.

Wednesday

Every two weeks, on a Wednesday morning, the whole tenancy sustainment team gets together for a meeting, during which we’ll talk about our collective performance, including how many customers we’ve supported and how much money we’ve gained for them. So far this year, we have assisted more than 500 customers and brought in more than £1m in financial gains.

Also, during the call, we run through cases we’ve been working on, as well as any changes to the benefits system we all need to be aware of. The meetings are opportunities to share updates about the ‘campaigns’ that are already under way; for example, we previously worked on a series of videos highlighting the help we can provide to tenants who are struggling, and we’re currently focusing on a campaign which involves us using data to identify anyone who may be affected by the benefit cap, contacting them directly to offer support.

In addition to team meetings, I also attend regular Universal Credit subgroup meetings with our local Department for Work and Pensions representative, during which attendees are briefed on any changes to Universal Credit and other benefits.

Thursday

I usually have five or six appointments booked per day, and I’ll also ring residents I haven’t heard from to make sure everything is going OK with their claims.

Prior to COVID-19, we would mostly talk to residents who had previously been on benefits. However, during the pandemic, we have been hearing from people we have never spoken to before, because maybe they have never had to make claims for benefits. They may have been furloughed or lost their jobs, and the benefits system is very new to them.

Friday

I like to keep Fridays relatively clear so I can catch up on cases, work on anything that needs to be finished and tie up any loose ends. I like Monday morning to be a fresh start to a new week.