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Notting Hill Genesis to review sheltered housing charge after MP intervention

A large London association has agreed to review its decision to impose a care service charge on residents at a sheltered housing block after an MP’s intervention.

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Sidney Miller Court in Ealing, west London (picture: Google Street View)
Sidney Miller Court in Ealing, west London (picture: Google Street View)
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Notting Hill Genesis has agreed to review its decision to impose a care service charge on residents at a sheltered housing block after an MP’s intervention #UKhousing

Notting Hill Genesis (NHG), which owns around 66,000 homes, said it will reconsider the move to make it no longer possible for tenants at Sidney Miller Court to opt out of the service and resulting charge.

Residents at the Ealing block reacted angrily when they suddenly began to be billed around £22 a month for Careline services late last year. The Careline service enables residents to pull a cord to alert a call centre if in need of assistance.

Sidney Miller Court resident Geeta Kapoor said: “I was so upset, I couldn’t sleep for two nights. I have got a very limited amount of pension so it’s quite a lot of money for me that I cannot afford.

“I’ve lived here for the past 22 years and I’ve never used this facility once.”

A spokesperson for NHG said they believe Careline “is a valuable service” but “respect the opinions of tenants”.


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Thirty-five of the block’s 43 tenants signed a petition calling on the housing association to consult with them on the change with an option to opt out of the service.

In a letter to one resident seen by Inside Housing after they raised concerns, NHG said a consultation was not required as the charge was not new.

Most tenants in the block agreed with NHG several years ago that they would not have to pay for the service other than one-off charges per use.

Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, asked NHG to review its approach to the charge after being contacted over the issue.

NHG owns around 2,200 sheltered housing units, mostly across London and Essex, with warden call systems fitted into all schemes.

The landlord said these are mostly run in-house rather than by an external provider and that it was not aware of any scheme apart from Sidney Miller Court where the service has been optional.

It added it “may need to review the evidence around opt-outs” at Sidney Miller Court, but that it will “work with residents and their families in a sympathetic and inclusive way to resolve this issue”. It also accepted that “in some cases opt-out decisions were a long time ago and documentary evidence may have been lost or gone missing”.

A spokesperson for NHG said: “The safety of our residents is paramount and we believe Careline is a valuable service that would benefit them now and in the future, but we respect the opinions of tenants and given their concerns we are reviewing the decision around opting out.

“We will continue to discuss any changes with them in the weeks to come.”

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