The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is moving everyone off ‘legacy benefits’, and on to Universal Credit.

If you’re claiming any of the benefits mentioned below then soon you’ll have to take action, and switch over to Universal Credit (UC).

These are income-based and/or income related benefits:

• Working Tax Credits
• Child Tax Credits
• Housing Benefit (HB)
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance.

If you receive any of the benefits listed above, look out for your ‘notice of managed migration’. If you’re in any doubt about moving over to UC then please contact us or seek advice. You’ll receive a letter through the post from the DWP.

On getting this letter, you’ll have three months to act. If you fail to act, your benefits will end. 

If your legacy benefit ends for that reason, the DWP will allow you another month to make your UC claim. There’ll be no gaps in your benefits and you may still be eligible for ‘Transitional Protection’. However, we strongly recommend making the transition within the first three months.

The DWP have published a schedule for the types of benefits that will be receiving their letter and when, but the important thing is to look out for yours, and act when you get it. Or you could lose out.

The schedule is:

• April 2024 – Tax Credits and Housing Benefits
• April – June 2024 – Income Support and HB residents
• June 2024 – HB claimants only (unless HB is your only legacy benefit, and you are living in ‘specified’ or ‘temporary accommodation’).
• July 2024 – Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Child Tax Credits (with HB)
• August 2024 – Pensioners with Working Tax Credits/Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits. Also Mixed Aged Couples (a couple where one partner is a pensioner, and the other is under pension age)*
• September 2024 – Job Seekers Allowance
• September 2024/25- All remaining ESA and HB residents (as-well as ESA-only residents).

The DWP plans to have sent out all manage migration notices by the end of 2025.

*Some Mixed Aged Couples age couples are ‘protected’ from the change in the rules, and it’s important to know if you fall in this protected category as you may be able to claim Pension Credit or Pension age Housing Benefit, or both. People over state pension age in receipt of Child Tax Credit only, who aren’t already claiming Pension Credit, will be invited to claim Pension Credit before their Child Tax Credit stops.

You must look out for your letter from the DWP. But you can get prepared. Check how much you will receive on UC, it might be less than you’re getting now, but it might be more. You can make the switch to UC earlier than when you’re invited, but if you’re due to receive less after the switch over, it’s better to wait for the managed migration notice letter.   

If you’re struggling or can’t claim online, you can also contact:

• The Managed Migration Helpline: 0800 169 0328, (calls are free from mobiles or landlines) or  
• Citizen Advice Help to Claim Service.

Battersea local Jeanne Rathbone will be unveiling a blue plaque in honour of Tom Taylor and Laura Barker at 84 Lavender Sweep SE11 1HP.

Laura Barker (1819-1905) was a renowned composer and musician, who lived at the property with her husband Tom Taylor from 1858 until his death in 1880.

Tom Taylor (1817 – 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant and editor of Punch magazine.

Both Laura and Tom held regular Sunday musical soirees, and celebrities at the time such as Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens would attend.

Jeanne Rathbone is a local historian and Battersea Society member, and has been instrumental in securing plaques to commemorate notable Battersea residents, in particular women who have been under-represented in both local and national commemoration schemes.

Battersea Society members are local and former residents, businesses and even visitors who fell in love with this vibrant part of South West London/ Through our work we investigate and honour Battersea’s rich heritage, promote and protect our open spaces, and ensure community is at the heart of development across the historic borough.

The unveiling will take place on Saturday 28 September at 2pm. There are more details to follow.

You can read more about both Laura and Tom on Jeanne’s blog.

The HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury Docks on 22 June 1948. This defining moment, is now celebrated as Windrush Day marks its 76th anniversary.  

Our boroughs are home to many residents from, and descendants of the Windrush generation. There are many local community groups offering a range of events celebrating the history, achievements, and contributions of the Windrush generation.

Below is a snapshot of activities and events tacking place across South London.

Irie! Dance Theatre – Friday, 21 June, Grinling Gibbons Primary 

A 76th Windrush Anniversary celebration with storytelling, folk singing, dancing, and steel pan performances for all generations. 

Brownhill Road Baptist Church – Saturday 22 June, Brownhill Road Baptist Church, Catford 

Windrush Friendship Space at Brownhill Road Baptist Church features cultural activities, live music, poetry, dance, storytelling, and a Caribbean-style shared meal. Timings TBC. 

Bellingham Community Project, Saturday 22 June, 12-4pm, Bellingham Green 

Celebrate Windrush at the Bellingham Festival with the Bonus Pastor School steel pan band, community stories, and Caribbean food. 

Windrush @ 75: Exhibition, until Wednesday 31 July, 10 – 8, Streatham Library

Rush – A Joyous Jamaican Journey , Friday 11 October, Fairfield Halls

Rush tells the story of reggae music and the Windrush generation. Hear how their music took the UK and the world by storm. Book your tickets now! 

Windrush and World Reggae Day, Saturday 22 June, 930 – 130, Socco Cheta

The Windrush generation legacy association, 11am – 5pm

‘Gaan a Farin’ is a free exhibition that gives you the opportunity to visit a recreation of a Windrush era home.

Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives 

Located on Windrush Square, the Black Cultural Archives are home to a reading room, library and exhibition space, dedicated to collecting and recording the stories of African and Caribbean people in Britain. 

There are hundreds of events taking place to celebrate Windrush Day, and the best place to keep up to date with events and information is www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk. 

Merton Council will be hosting the south London retrofit skills summit on Tuesday 14th May at AFC Wimbledon 

The summit is being held in collaboration with the south London Partnership and funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

What is retrofit?

Retrofit refers to any improvement work on an existing building to improve its energy efficiency, making it easier and cheaper to heat, and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. Retrofitting our buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy demand is going to be key to meeting net-zero targets.

Have you considered upskilling, changing careers or just want to find out more about retrofit?

Demand for skills in this area is increasing rapidly. 400,000 retrofit workers are required in the UK to meet the target of retrofitting 19 million buildings by 2035 whereas there are only 200,000 people currently working in roles relating to maintaining or improving existing buildings. With a wide range of career opportunities ranging from the use of artificial intelligence and data in building assessment through to on-site construction and specialist installation roles, come find out more about what a career in retrofit could look like for you.

If you are just interested in finding out more about retrofit, there will also be opportunity within the evening to chat to local practitioners and installers.

Event Synopsis

The aim of the event is to bring residents, practitioners, and educators together to showcase and increase awareness of the skills and job opportunities related to retrofit in south London, inspiring residents who may want to consider a career in retrofit and meet a range of practitioners working in this sector to understand more about retrofit.

Event details

• The event will run from 5-7pm – tea/coffee will be provided on arrival.

• Tickets are free to this event – all attendees will need to book a ticket and show proof of booking upon arrival.

• Venue address: The Cherry Red Records Stadium, Plough Ln, London SW17 0NR

• They encourage residents to use public transport to get to the venue.

If you have any enquiries or questions, please email future.merton@merton.gov.uk with ‘south London Retrofit Skills Summit’ in the subject.

We are supporting the National Housing Federation’s #Planforhousing campaign. 

England is in a housing emergency. 8.5 million people in England have an unmet housing need. For 4.2 million of these people social housing would be the best tenure to address that need. 

The UK spends a higher proportion of GDP on housing allowances than any other OECD country. The lower rents charged by social housing providers save tenants an estimated £18bn a year – an average of £5000 per household per year. 

If the government don’t act now, then by 2030 every school in England will have an average 7 children who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation and 85 are living in overcrowded houses. 

As we head towards the next general election, we are calling for a plan to fix the housing crisis. What housing associations need is a long-term plan that is comprehensive and maps out policies, funding resources and ensures that they all point in the same direction. 

Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE FRCGP (Hon), Chair of Wandle’s Board said, “Wandle’s core purpose is to provide good quality, genuinely affordable homes in south London, for those who need them the most. 

“We’re supporting the National Housing Federation’s call for a long-term plan for housing. We want to work in collaboration with the next government to end the housing crisis and to make a real difference to people who need it most.” 

You can read more about the campaign here > https://www.housing.org.uk/our-work/a-long-term-plan-for-housing/. 

Applications for K&T Heating Services Apprenticeship Programme are now open.

The open day will be held on Saturday 11 May at their head office in Dartford.

They are looking to recruit up to 25 new recruits within gas, electrical, and renewable heating across London and the South East. In addition, they will be offering business administration apprenticeships at their Dartford office.

K&T are gold-accredited members of the 5% Club, and they are passionate about investing in their people.

The open day will be a great opportunity to:

• Learn more about the industry
• Discover what a career at K&T looks like
• Meet some of their current and former apprentices
• Ask senior management any questions you may have
• Applicants can attend along with their parents/carers

Please register your attendance by scanning the QR code in the video or emailing your CV to: careers@ktheating.co.uk to receive a confirmation and timeslot.

You are invited to a health and wellbeing fair at William Booth College on Friday 10 May.

The fair will be hosted by HACT, and we will have a private room, and it’s a great opportunity for residents living in Southwark and neighbouring boroughs to meet Wandle colleagues from across our teams. There will be fun activities and light refreshments available.

Activities will include art, health checks and advice, chair-based yoga, talks, singing, Chi Kung and even a disco.

The address is William Booth College, Denmark Hill and the fair starts at 10am until 1pm.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We are delighted to share the news that we have won our bid for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Funding.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) have announced that £75 million has been awarded to 42 councils and housing associations.

Our ambitious bid means that over the next two years we will be able to retrofit 121 homes. This means we will be improving the insulation, ventilation and adding solar PV panels to these homes.

Andy Arnold, Head of Asset Management at Wandle said, “Winning this bid means we can focus on future proofing our homes, so they are both energy and cost efficient for our residents.

“Our purpose is to support people, across south london, who need a home. We are helping to tackle the shortage of good quality affordable housing, and this includes energy consumption.”

Our energy saving programme aims to reduce energy consumption by 2475 kWh per year and reduce energy bills by up to £325 per year for some of our residents living in the least energy efficient homes. In addition, all 121 homes will achieve EPC Band C.

Central Government will also provide funding of £1,018 million towards the work. The full list of successful applicants have been published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and can be found here Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.2: successful bids – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

On Tuesday 12th March, our Energy and Sustainability Lead attended the Battersea Arts Centre for the ‘Wandsworth Together on Climate Change’ summit.

The partnership event had a focus on net zero and was an opportunity for local stakeholders and partners to come together to talk about the action they have taken and future plans to reach net zero. In addition, there was a discussion about the challenges and opportunities in trying to reach Wandsworth’s target of being net zero by 2043.

As Wandle are one of the largest social housing providers in Wandsworth, we were given the opportunity to talk about the work we’re doing to meet our own targets and to tackle climate change. Our Head of Asset Management also participated in a panel discussion on how the public sector and businesses can contribute towards meeting net zero.

Useful contacts were made, and the team came away with ideas about how they can best engage with you on the topics of energy efficiency and green skills.

The leader of the Council and Chief Executive were also pleased to announce that Wandsworth has been awarded the London Borough of culture for 2025!

We recently received complaints from five Wandle residents and members of the public living in Streatham concerning the behaviour of a resident.

Initially the team thought it was anti-social behaviour (ASB), but on further investigation they realised the behaviour was the result of a serious mental health crisis.

The tenant in question was struggling to remember to take their medication, which was causing their problematic behaviour, and they were in desperate need of additional support.

The situation reached a critical level after a distressing incident outside a local school. Our community safety officer liaised with the police and social services to process an emergency safeguarding referral.

As a result, the resident was taken to a nearby hospital to receive the mental health support they require, and the local community can now breathe easy.

The future is looking slightly brighter for the resident, and Wandle are working with Mental Health professionals to explore the possibility of moving the resident to supported housing so they can be closely monitored and get back on track.

There are often many reasons why someone is behaving in an anti-social way, and it is the responsibility of our Community Safety Team to decide on the best course of action.

If you need to report an ASB case, the most efficient and simplest way of reporting anti-social behaviour is by calling our Customer Service Team on 0300 2000 120 or by emailing customerservices@wandle.com.