How can we help you?
What is Universal Credit?
What will I get on Universal Credit?
When will the final payments for existing benefits be?
- The deadline date on your letter
- When you make a claim to Universal Credit
What if I don’t want to claim Universal Credit?
I’ve not had a letter about the move to Universal Credit, should I just make a claim?
I’ve received my migration letter but I’m going to struggle to make a claim before the date in the letter – what should I do?
What should I do if I have a disability that will make it hard for me to evacuate in the event of a fire?
Can I set off fireworks in my garden?
Can I have a barbecue in my garden?
What should I do if there is a fire in my house?
Alert everyone in your home that there is an emergency. Leave quickly, closing your doors behind you. Follow your evacuation plan. If there is smoke, crawl along the floor, where the air will be clearer. Once you’re safely outside, phone 999 for the fire brigade.
What should I do if my smoke detector isn’t working?
Who is responsible for landlord health and safety at whg?
How often do you carry out building safety checks on my block?
- Visits by the Neighbourhood Impact Officers
- Quarterly communal fire door and annual flat entrance door inspections
- Fire alarms, lifts and emergency lighting.
I live in a block. What should I do if there is a fire?
- If you are in your flat and believe there is a fire elsewhere in the building you can stay put, as long as you think it is safe to do so. If you smell smoke, see a fire, feel unsafe or are instructed by the Fire Service to leave, you should get out and stay out.
- If you discover a fire in your flat, get everyone in your flat to leave, closing any fire doors. Stay out of your flat and go to a safe space away from the building. Do not use the lifts. Once it is safe to do so call the fire service on 999.
- If you are in a communal area and believe there is a fire, you should get out, stay out, and call the fire service on 999.
- If you feel unsafe for any reason, leave the building. Follow the fire escape signs and close all doors behind you. Do not use the lift.
What does ‘stay safe’ mean?
What are my responsibilities regarding fire safety?
How do I check my fire door?
- Check for signs of damage to either side of the door, the frame and hinges as well as the overhead closing device. Where you have seals installed on your door check these are free from damage.
- Open your door and fully release it. The door should shut fully into the doorframe without you having to shut it.
What do I do if I think a fire door is damaged?
Why are fire doors important?
Why are you increasing my rent?
When does the new rent start?
How have you calculated my rent increase?
What if I can’t afford the rent increase?
I pay a service charge. Will it increase?
I claim Universal Credit. Do I need to do anything?
I claim Housing Benefit. Do I need to do anything?
Do I have to change my Direct Debit?
Do I have to change my standing order?
How do you spend my rent?
What happens if I don’t pay the rent increase?
What are you doing about delays to repairs?
How can I get a rent statement?
What should I do if I discover damp or mould?
What can I do to get rid of damp and mould?
How do I know if my mould is due to condensation or damp?
How can I reduce the amount of condensation in my home?
What causes condensation?
What is the best way to ventilate my home?
What happens when I make a complaint?
- If we think we can resolve your complaint quickly without the need for a formal complaint investigation, we will contact to let you know. If early resolution is possible (within 5 working days) we will give you the option of how you would like to proceed.
- Formal complaints – we will acknowledge all formal complaints within 5 working days of receipt.
- Stage 1 Investigation stage – we will contact you to discuss the details of your complaint and complete a thorough investigation into your concerns. We will aim to respond to you in writing within 10 working days of acknowledgement.
- Stage 2 Review stage – if you remain unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can ask for your case to be reviewed. We will ask you to provide details of the issues you feel remain outstanding or any new evidence that you have that we have not previously considered and what you feel we could do to put things right. We will aim to respond to you in writing within 20 working days of acknowledgment.
I have been through the complaints process and I am still unhappy, what can I do now?
- You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service at any point during the complaints process. It cannot investigate your complaint whilst it is going through our complaints procedure, however they may be able to help us in reaching a resolution.
- You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service via telephone on 0300 111 3000, email at info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk, their website at www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk or via post to; Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 152, Liverpool L33 7WQ).
How do I give feedback or make a complaint?
If things haven’t gone as you expected or you’re unhappy with something we did, please let us know. We’ll work with you to understand what happened and do our best to put it right.
You can do this by filling in our feedback form. Click here for more information about feedback and complaints.
Why are you changing the customer services opening hours?
Our customer services centre is here to help you from Monday – Friday, 8am – 6pm and Saturday 8am – 1pm.
From 10 April our customer services centre will be open from Monday – Friday only.
We want to give you the best help we can when you call us. To help us do this we regularly review the number of calls we receive so that we can answer as many calls as possible at our peak times.
Recently we have seen the number of calls made to us on Saturdays fall significantly compared to those made on weekdays. So that we can deal with more enquiries at those peak times, from 10 April our customer services centre will be closed on Saturdays.
Manage your home online
We’ve made it easy to manage your home online. Simply sign in or sign up using your name, date of birth and National Insurance or rent account number. You can book a repair, check your rent account and more without waiting times.Does it matter if my house is a mess?
Will your gas engineer or electrician carry ID?
Why are electrical safety checks important?
Why are gas safety checks important?
Will my electrical safety check be really disruptive and messy?
What do I do if I smell gas?
My smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector isn’t working properly. What should I do?
Do I get a copy of the gas safety certificate for my home?
What happens if I don’t let you in for my gas or electrical safety check?
Do I have to have a gas or electrical safety check?
What should I do if I need to rearrange my gas or electrical safety check?
Do I need to do anything to prepare for my gas check?
Do I need to do anything to prepare for my electrical check?
What happens during my gas check?
How long will my annual gas check take?
What happens during an electrical check?
How long will my electrical safety check take?
What do I do if I need a handrail or other changes in my home?
- Minor adaptations – small changes (like rails) which can be installed by our repairs and maintenance team.
- Major adaptations – more complex changes such as installing a stairlift or level-access shower. Your local authority is responsible for these and will arrange an assessment by an occupational therapist.
What details do I need to sign up to manage my home online?
How can I check my rent account?
The quickest and easiest way to check your rent account is online. Sign up or sign in to get started.
Alternatively, you can ask for your latest rent statement by calling us on 0300 555 6666 (Monday-Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 8am-1pm) or emailing enquiries@whgrp.co.uk (we usually respond within five working days).
I can’t log in to my online account. What should I do?
What devices can I use to access my online account?
I’ve made a payment so why does my online account say I am in rent arrears?
Can I swap my home?
- You aren’t in debt with your rent
- The other person’s landlord is happy for the exchange to happen
- You aren’t moving to a property where you will be overcrowded or have more space than you need
- You get our permission in writing and there is no ongoing legal action relating to your tenancy (eg) a Possession Order or injunction
What is a mutual exchange?
Who can I swap my home with?
- A whg customer
- A customer of another registered social landlord (usually a housing association)
- Someone who lives in a council-owned and managed home.
How long does a home swap take?
Why should I use HomeSwapper?
How do I join HomeSwapper?
Do I have to pay for HomeSwapper?
Do I have to swap in my local area?
What can I do if I’m struggling to use HomeSwapper?
Do I need permission to swap my home?
I need to move urgently. Can I exchange and then get permission?
What if my new home is not in a good condition?
What does whg say about pets?
Who is my local Community Housing Officer?
How can my Community Housing Officer help me?
Why do you have Community Housing Officers?
What can I do about noisy neighbours?
Can I make an anonymous report of ASB?
Who is responsible for dealing with ASB?
What grounds maintenance services can I expect to receive as part of my tenancy?
I want to get rid of some old furniture. How can I do this?
- Some charities, like the British Heart Foundation, will collect your items free of charge if they are in good condition to be sold in their shops.
- Local councils offer “bulky waste” collections.
- Make some extra cash by selling it online on sites like Ebay and ask the buyer to collect it in person. Or you could try Gumtree or Facebook market place.
- Give your furniture a makeover by painting or varnishing it.
My bin isn’t big enough for all of my rubbish, what do I do?
What can I do with large waste items, like my old fridge?
- Fryers Road Household Waste Recycling Centre, Bloxwich
- Merchants Way Household Waste Recycling Centre, Aldridge
Who is responsible for clearing up fly-tipping?
How can I report fly-tipping?
What is the punishment for fly-tipping?
What is fly-tipping?
Who is responsible for maintaining trees?
My bin hasn’t been collected. Who do I report it to?
Who do I talk to about a problem with parking?
Who do I report flytipping to?
How often is my block cleaned?
How often is the communal grass cut?
What can I do if I’m experiencing domestic abuse?
Who should I tell about pest problems?
Will whg get rid of bees or wasps that are in my home?
Will whg get rid of rats or mice?
Will whg pay for pest control?
Is whg responsible for getting rid of pests?
What can I do to prevent infestations?
What should I do if I have a pest problem?
Why are you carrying out investment works?
My neighbour is having improvement work done. Why aren’t I?
When will I find out if my home is due for planned investment works?
What do I do if I am unhappy with the work carried out by my contractor?
Why can’t I see any properties available to bid on?
How do I apply for a whg home?
What if I need help registering for the choose & move service?
Once I’m registered with choose & move and see a home I like, how do I apply for it?
Can I get a whg home straight away? If not, how long will I be waiting?
How will I be updated on the progress of my application for a home?
When are new homes added to choose & move?
I’m homeless. Can I apply for a property with you?
I am not eligible for the choose & move service. What can I do?
I’m interested in your properties outside Walsall. How do I register my interest?
What is a band award?
What is a band award date?
How will I know what band I’m in?
Why did I not get a home, even though I applied before other applicants?
What is a shortlist and why is it important to my application?
Can I make changes to my details on choose & move?
Why do I never see larger homes advertised?
What is a fast-track home?
What is Rent in Advance?
What is a Tenancy Sustainability Assessment (TSA)?
Do I need home contents insurance if I rent a whg home?
Why can it take a little longer to move in after I have been offered a home?
I have forgotten my choose & move log in details. What can I do?
How do I set up a Direct Debit for rent payments?
Can I ask someone else to manage my tenancy for me?
How do I make a payment?
I’m struggling to pay my rent. What should I do?
What happens if I go into arrears?
How can I check my rent account?
The quickest and easiest way to check your rent account is online. Sign up or sign in to get started.
Alternatively, you can ask for your latest rent statement by calling us on 0300 555 6666 (Monday-Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 8am-1pm) or emailing enquiries@whgrp.co.uk (we usually respond within five working days).
I’ve made a payment so why does my online account say I am in rent arrears?
What should I do if I am unhappy about the condition of my home?
You should always report any repairs or other issues promptly. We will try and resolve the issue with you and inspect your property to work out the cause. If a repair is detected, it will be completed in accordance with our repairs policy. You can check appointment dates and find out more about any outstanding repairs using our online service. Or you can contact us by phone or email.
Sign up or sign in to manage your home online.
If you remain unhappy with the condition of your home and/or our service you can make a complaint through our formal complaints procedure. Please be assured that our internal complaints team will investigate your complaint independently. The complaints procedure is free of charge to you and we will work with you to put things right if we’ve got it wrong.
How do I book a repair?
We have an expert team ready to help resolve the issue and any repairs we are responsible for will be carried out free of charge to you. This includes things like insect or mice infestations caused as a result of external conditions.
The quickest and easiest way to report a repair is using our online service.
Sign up or sign in to manage your home online.
We’ll ask you some quick questions about the problem so we have all the information we need to carry out the repair.
You will then be able to choose from our best available appointments and book your repair for a time that’s convenient to you.
You can also email us on enquiries@whgrp.co.uk (we usually respond within five working days), or you can call us on 0300 555 6666 (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm).
Emergency repairs can be reported 24 hours a day on the same phone number.
When reporting a repair, you need to tell us your name, address, contact phone number, as much information as possible about the repair and how our repairs team will be able to get into your home.
Before booking a repair, please double-check it isn’t your responsibility to fix in our repairs and home maintenance guide by clicking here.
Remember, if it is an emergency and there is immediate risk to safety, security or health, call us on 0300 555 666.
What repairs are whg responsible for?
What repairs am I responsible for?
What happens after I book a repair?
If you have booked your repair using your online account, you don’t need to do anything else. We will confirm your appointment by phone, text message or letter, and then we will see you on the day. Remember we don’t give appointment times for repairs in communal areas.
Although we will do our best to keep to your appointment, sometimes we may need to change it. For example, if we do not have the part needed for the repair.
A responsible adult must be in your home while the work is taking place.
If you need to make special arrangements (like booking a day off work), we recommend asking a family member or friend to help out.
If your repair worsens, get in touch as we may need to re-prioritise it.When will my repair be completed?
- morning, 8am-2pm
- afternoon, 12-6pm
- all day, 8am-6pm
- late afternoon, 3-6pm
- avoiding the ‘school run’, 10am-2pm.
What happens on the day of my repair appointment?
On the day you must make sure we are able to get into your home so we can carry out the work. A responsible adult must be there to let us in and while work is being carried out.
Anyone we authorise to enter your home will carry identification. Always ask to see it before letting callers into your home and be aware there may be bogus callers operating in your area. If you have any concerns, call us on 0300 555 6666 to confirm they are who they say they are.
If we need to replace something in your home, where possible we will replace it with an identical or matching item.
How do I cancel a repair appointment?
What is a disrepair claim?
Can I bring legal action against whg if I am dissatisfied with your service?
Can I redecorate or make alterations to my home?
What do I do if I find faults in my new-build home?
What should I do if I think there is a gas leak?
Why is it taking so long to complete repairs?
What are you doing to fix the delay on repairs?
- We are working smarter with our stores provider to ensure we have the right materials in stock, so we can complete more work.
- We’ve increased resource within our repairs service so we can carry out more appointments each day.
- Our teams are working longer so we can see as many people as possible.
- We will do everything we can to give as much notice as possible if an appointment needs to be rescheduled.
- Following customer feedback we’ve recently introduced a new ‘Repairs Booster Team’ to help us tackle repairs quicker and more efficiently; We aim to complete more repairs using multiskilled trades during a single visit, meaning less inconvenience for you.
Who maintains fences and gates?
We are responsible for maintaining any fence or gate we have provided. This includes any fence or gate which divides your garden from a public path or right of way. We also maintain fences and gates in communal areas.
Whilst we are responsible for defining the boundary between homes, you are responsible for any fence or gate that you have fitted yourself.