Pay Your WMC (Rent)

How to pay your WMC (Rent)

There are a variety of ways to pay your Weekly Maintenance Contributions (WMC) and service charges to PFH.

Ways to pay your WMC (Rent)

If you have a bank or Building Society account; then the most efficient and secure way to pay your WMC (rent) is via Direct Debit. Payments can be automatically taken four-weekly, monthly (1st of each month) or quarterly (garden only).

To arrange to pay your WMC (rent) via direct debit please complete the Direct Debit form and return it to us.

Direct Debit Form (PDF)

If you require any assistance with the form, please contact our Customer Support Team on 01482 223783.

If you receive Housing Benefit and pay by direct debit, any changes to your payments can automatically be adjusted by us without you needing to do anything.

You can pay your WMC (rent) at any PayPoint outlet where the symbol is displayed such as supermarkets and the post office. Please contact us to arrange your payment card if this is your preferred method of payment.

You can also use your payment card reference number to make payments online by going to the Allpay website and following the set-up instructions.

Payments can be made by phoning our offices. You will need to quote the 16-digit reference, expiry date and last 3 digits on the back of your card.

Please note – For security reasons cash is not collected by our staff

WMC (rent) accounts are normally credited with payments within 5 working days. To help you keep a record of your WMC (rent) account we will also send you regular account statements.

If you are an existing resident and you require:

  • an up-to-date statement
  • additional information about applying for Housing Benefit
  • advice because you are having difficulties paying your WMC (rent)

Please contact us by either calling the office on 01482 223783 or completing the form below.

WMC (rent) accounts are normally credited with payments within 5 working days. To PFH asks all residents to pay four weeks advance WMC, and to maintain four weeks credit throughout the term of your Licence. This is so that any fluctuations in your WMC, benefits or any other changes in your financial circumstances can be managed without your WMC account being affected.

Also, if you leave PFH, you need to give four-weeks’ notice and during this time, the full WMC needs to be paid. Housing Benefit/Universal Credit is paid four weeks in arrears and benefits are only payable on a property that is being occupied so benefits will not be paid for the notice period. This means that at the end of your licence, there may be arrears which will need to be paid by you or your estate. So,

Plan for the future –
Pay 4 weeks advance and
Prevent the worry of debt if you leave!

If you have any questions about this or are concerned about whether this is affordable to you, please speak with our Income Recovery and Financial Wellbeing Officer or Area Coordinator, who will be able to advise you on alternative options, such as paying a small amount extra each week or month to bring your account into credit.

You may have noticed PFH using terminology in written communications or our conversations, which is unfamiliar to you.  PFH is a registered charity and as such, provides residents with a Licence (Letter of Appointment).  Licences are quite different to a tenancy.  For example, with a Licence, you do not pay PFH a rent, you pay a Weekly Maintenance Contribution.  Here are some of the differences you may have noticed: 

Council or Private landlordPFH
Offers you a TenancyOffers you a Licence, also known as a Letter of Appointment
If you have a Tenancy, you are a TenantIf you have a Licence, you are a Resident or beneficiary or licensee
If you have a tenancy, you pay a RentIf you have a licence, you pay a Weekly Maintenance Contribution. 

Licences are usually used by charitable organisations.  A licence provides permission for an individual(s) to enter, occupy and use a property but does not give any legal interest in the property or land, nor does it grant exclusive possession like many tenancy agreements do.  PFH will offer residents a Licence to occupy their home for as long as they need it or as long as they qualify to be a beneficiary.  With a licence, PFH has the explicit right to enter the property, as long as we provide you with reasonable notice.  We won’t enter your home without your consent unless there is a legitimate reason to, or if it’s an emergency.  Licensees must provide access for inspections, including gas and electric safety checks, which as a landlord, PFH is legally required to undertake. 

Any breaches of the Licence could result in a resident losing their home.  But at PFH, we’re committed to working with residents who are experiencing any difficulties so as to prevent this wherever possible. 

If you would like to re-familiarise yourself with your Licence, you will find this in the documents provided to you when you signed-up to move into your home.  If you cannot find it, we can provide you with a copy. 

Need some help with WMC?

If you have a question, or need some help with your Weekly Maintenance Contributions, please complete the form below.

Pay My Rent

Service Charges

A breakdown of the charges included in your service contract.

Includes the cost of Tunstall equipment including repairs and lifeline pendants, Astraline monitoring, electric and telephone lines for the Tunstall equipment. For RLP Schemes this area of expenditure is collected within the Security Costs Service Charge. Residents in hardwired areas (i.e. where there is a Tunstall agreement number) cannot opt out of this service. Residents in dispersed areas can opt out of this service if they wish to.

Also known as OK Each Day, residents are provided with specialist equipment installed at their properties to improve daily housing-related contact. Residents can opt out of this if they wish to, although it is an important service for families so should be fully considered.

Service Plus Schemes

Includes the cost of agency security and the cost of providing security equipment and systems – for Schemes, this includes Tunstall Kit (video door entry etc).

Bungalows

Includes the cost of an agency security.

(Flats – Icelandic Close, Edith Cavell Court, Cottingham Road, Hessle High Road)

Includes the cost of external and internal communal cleaning including employment of cleaners, agency cleaners, refuse collection, equipment and materials.

Includes the cost of external and internal communal cleaning including employment of cleaners, agency cleaners, refuse collection, equipment and materials. There are no clinical waste costs incurred by PFH as clinical waste is now collected with household waste. Sanitary waste collection isn’t a chargeable service as it is for the benefit of staff and visitors.

Electric

The cost of electricity for communal lighting, fire alarms and other communal equipment.

Gas

The cost of gas or electricity for communal heating.

Lighting

The cost of electricity used by residents in their own properties.

Heating

The cost of gas or electricity used by residents in their own properties.

Water

The cost of water used by residents in their own properties.

Includes maintenance of the landscape and communal access areas, communal garden areas including grass and tree cutting / surgery and maintenance of flower beds, hedges and shrubs.

Includes any costs incurred in clearing vermin, including pest control contracts.

This covers employee costs in relation to employees excluding scheme managers’ costs.

This covers the provision of Service Plus scheme managers and includes 90% of the costs associated with the respective post at each scheme. The remaining 10% is apportioned as a housing management cost under non-service chargeable overheads.

This covers the VHO salary costs for scheme managers.

This is a percentage which is calculated and set annually to cover reasonable administrative costs.

Includes property services staff costs.

Includes expected repairs caused by normal wear and tear.

Includes the costs of maintaining and servicing fire equipment (e.g. emergency lighting, fire alarm systems and extinguishers) and health and safety assessments including COSHH.

Includes PAT Testing, gas certification, heating and maintenance charges, legionella testing, electrical boards and energy management contract costs. There are no provisions made for the actual cost of the boiler as there is only one boiler at each scheme which provides heating for individual properties and communal areas. Service charges can only apply if there are boilers for individual properties as well as communal areas.

Provision for the future replacement costs.

Includes lift maintenance and maintenance of TV aerials.

A charge for the future replacement of lifts.

A charge for the future replacement of fire alarm systems, emergency lighting etc.

Includes redecorating internal communal areas to a reasonable standard.

Residents

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