FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Our pioneering Furniture Recycling Scheme can be credited for helping both people and the planet.

In 2021-22 we have:

Universal Credit claimants supported

benefits and grants gained through our money advice service

given out through our hardship grant

customers supported through our hardship grant

customers supported with furniture packages

Focus on... Lifeline for refugee

Our ground-breaking Furniture Recycling Scheme is providing a lifeline for people in desperate need.

The eco-friendly scheme works by recycling unwanted furniture, household items and white goods, which would otherwise have ended up in landfill, and then by giving it away for free to our customers who need it most.

This year, 223 customers have received furniture packages, enabling those who have fallen on hard times to start to build a safe and happy home environment.

One such customer is a refugee who arrived in Salford with nothing after escaping extreme danger in his home country.

He has now found safety in one of our properties and has received a much-needed furniture package to help make his house a home, including a sofa, bed, fridge freezer, coffee table and chest of drawers.

If the human and environmental impact isn’t incentive enough – the scheme is also proving incredibly cost-effective. To date, we’ve saved £35,000 in tipping costs, which is money that can be better spent on our homes and communities.

Focus on... Support

The cost-of-living crisis, rising energy prices and the ongoing fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic is hitting many of our customers hard.

Our Income Management Team are here to provide free financial advice and support to those who are worried about their finances and struggling to pay their rent and bills.

From ensuring our tenants are claiming the benefits they’re entitled to, to giving out food vouchers and assisting people to apply to the Salix Hardship Fund, our dedicated officers are on hand to support people who are experiencing financial difficulties.

'During the past year alone, the team has helped secure an additional £132,688 in benefits for customers and given out £11,550 through our Hardship Fund.

One particular customer contacted the team for support after a marital breakdown. They had never had a bank account before and had no experience in managing their finances.

We were able to get their Universal Credit payments set up and onto their rent account. Through a referral to Salford Assist, we were also able to secure food and energy vouchers and helped them through the process of setting up their own bank account. We also referred them to our Furniture Recycling Team to pick out some household items, all of which has made a real difference and helped ease the financial burden.

Environment