Compensation claims

Compensation is one way we may put things right when a service failure has occurred.

Compensation can include an apology, a practical solution, reimbursement of reasonable financial losses, or a financial payment where appropriate.

No.

We'll investigate each case individually to determine whether a service failure occurred, whether it was our responsibility, and what impact it had on you.

Depending on the circumstances, compensation may be awarded for:

• delays in carrying out repairs
• loss of heating or hot water
• missed appointments
• loss of use of part of your home
• poor complaint handling
• distress, inconvenience, time and trouble
• proven financial losses caused by our service failure.

There is no standard payment for every situation. We assess the following.

• What went wrong
• How long the issue lasted
• The impact on you and your household
• Any evidence you provide
• Any vulnerabilities or personal circumstances
• Whether you experienced financial loss

Our aim is to provide compensation that is fair and proportionate to the circumstances.

This will depend on the claim, but examples include:

• photographs
• receipts
• invoices
• correspondence
• relevant professional evidence where appropriate.

The more information you can provide, the easier it is for us to assess your claim.

We may reimburse reasonable costs where they arose directly because of our service failure and you can provide supporting evidence.

For example, if you incur additional electricity costs because temporary heaters were required, we may ask for evidence of those costs.

We want to ensure all customers are treated fairly and consistently.

We will consider the circumstances and evidence provided, but we cannot guarantee reimbursement of every expense incurred. Costs must be proportionate and reasonably incurred as a result of the service failure.

No.

The policy does not provide compensation for loss of earnings or annual leave.

Where a room cannot reasonably be used for its intended purpose because of a service failure, we may consider compensation based on a percentage of your weekly rent.

For example:
•    kitchen unavailable
•    bedroom cannot be used
•    bathroom out of use.

We will assess each case individually.

Yes.

When assessing compensation, we consider the impact the issue had on you and your household. This may include:

• disabilities
• health conditions
• age-related needs
• children in the household
• communication requirements
• other known vulnerabilities.

These factors may affect both our assessment and the level of compensation awarded.

Yes. The policy applies to residents, shared owners, applicants and others affected by services we provide.

However, not every part of the policy will apply to every customer. Compensation can only be considered in relation to services that we are responsible for providing.

For example, shared owners are generally responsible for repairs inside their home, so repair-related compensation would not normally apply in those circumstances.

We will investigate the facts of the case, review any evidence available and assess the impact of the service failure before making a decision.

We will explain the outcome and how any compensation has been calculated.

We aim to tell you our decision within 10 working days of receiving all the information needed to assess your claim

Where compensation is approved, payment may be made by:

• credit to your rent account
• bank transfer (BACS)
• e-voucher.

If you are unhappy with the compensation decision, you can ask us to review it through our complaints process.

Possibly.

We may consider compensation where our service failure directly caused the damage and it would not be reasonable to expect the loss to be covered by your home contents insurance.

Compensation would not normally be paid for the following.

• Personal injury claims
• Insurance claims
• Damage caused by third parties unrelated to us
• Loss of earnings
• Annual leave taken to deal with an issue
• Issues that are subject to legal proceedings
• Repairs or services that are not our responsibility