Issue - meetings

The Strategic Director: Services (Interim) and Income Services Manager introduced the report and responded to questions as summarised below.

On behalf of TACT, Michael Fawcitt supported the report and thanked the Income Services Manager for attending a recent meeting of TACT to present its contents.

The Income Services Manager confirmed that Experian do have the highest level of data security.  A tenant would have to be at least two months in arrears before it was flagged up on the Rental Exchange system but tenants in arrears would not be automatically excluded.  The Strategic Director emphasised that the Council had a robust approach to arrears with tenants being contacted at an early stage. 

The Income Services Manager confirmed that tenants would automatically be enrolled into the scheme unless they decided to opt out.  Officers would work with the Council’s Communications Team to maximise awareness amongst tenants.

The Committee agreed to the following for the reasons outlined above and set out in the report.

RESOLVED:

1.         That the Council’s Housing Services participate in the Rental Exchange.

2.         That the Council set up a regular data feed with Experian as managers of the Rental Exchange thereby improving the housing circumstances of vulnerable and excluded households and supporting our residents with the impact of welfare reform.