Year end FAQ

We understand that rising costs are causing a lot of worry and having your rent increased may be adding to that. We want to reassure you that our decision to increase rents is based on us sustaining an income so that we are able to repair and maintain homes to ensure that they are safe and of a good quality, continue to provide vital services and support for tenants and also continue to improve the energy efficiency of homes to reduce bills and work towards zero-carbon targets.  

The rent you pay goes directly back into these services and initiatives and whilst we try to keep rents as affordable as possible, we have to balance this with the rising costs of repairing and maintaining homes and the cost of providing other essential goods and services.   

The 2026/27 rent increase has been calculated in line with government policy, following an inflation linked Government formula that makes sure rent levels are capped and remain at an affordable level.  

Like all social housing providers, we follow the Government’s guidelines on rent setting. We work it out by taking the previous September’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate, which was 3.8% this year and add 1% to it. This means we’ll be increasing your rent by 4.8% from April 2026.  

Stockport Council rents remain one of the lowest in Greater Manchester (GM).  Out of a sample of 106 housing providers across different GM Boroughs, Stockport Council had the 8th lowest rents.  

We understand that many people are feeling the pressure as everyday costs continue to rise, while incomes don’t always increase at the same pace. Things are difficult and you’re not alone.  

We’re committed to supporting any customers who are struggling, whether that be due to a one off unexpected expense, a change in circumstances such as reduced hours, illness or loss of an income, or simply the impact of rising household bills. Our free, dedicated specialist Money Advice Service is here to help you make sure your household income is maximised and relieve some of the financial pressure you may be facing.  

Any support you receive towards your housing costs will increase in line with any increases to cover some of these additional costs. There is also a wide range of local support available such as help with food, energy, council tax and other essential costs. You can find further information on the council’s website here https://www.stockport.gov.uk/topic/cost-of-living-support 

Your tenancy agreement gives more information about your Service Charges and what you are being charged for. Service charges are set to cover the actual cost of delivering the services provided, and we publish detailed information on our website explaining what each service charge includes so you can see exactly what you’re paying for. shg-service-charge-faqs.pdf 

If you have a query about any of these services, you can speak to your Housing Officer. Alternatively, you can call the rents team on 0161 217 6016 option 3 and they can take the details and pass the query on to the Housing team on your behalf.  

Service charges are set to cover the actual cost of delivering the services provided, and we publish detailed information on our website explaining what each service charge includes so you can see exactly what you’re paying for. shg-service-charge-faqs.pdf 

If you’re unhappy with the charge or feel something isn’t right, please speak to your Housing Officer in the first instance. They can look into this with you and, if needed, escalate your concerns to the team responsible for reviewing and managing the service.  

We aim to deliver goodquality, reliable services and your feedback is important to us. It helps us improve what we do and ensures we’re providing value for money for all customers. 

Yes, you will need to update Universal Credit with your new Housing Costs information. You will need to keep checking your online claim on or after 6th April 2026 as you will be set a ‘to-do’ by the DWP to update the ‘Where you Live and What it Costs’ section of your claim.   

We will be sending some information out about your new charges to help you with this task around the time you will be asked to update your claim. Please make sure we have your correct email address so that we can get this information to you. If you need to update your claim before you receive anything from us, you can contact us Monday to Friday 8.30am until 5.00pm on 0161 217 6016 option 3.   

First, check your Universal Credit journal to make sure that Universal Credit have received and accepted your updated housing cost information. 

If Universal Credit have confirmed the change, the reason your payment has not increased may be due to transitional protection. 

When you moved to Universal Credit, you may have been awarded transitional protection, which is an extra amount included to ensure your income did not reduce at the point you moved across. When your entitlement increases (for example, due to higher housing costs), this increase is offset by a reduction in your transitional protection. 

This means that although your maximum Universal Credit entitlement increases, the amount you receive stays the same until the transitional protection has reduced to zero. 

Following a review across our developments, we found that current sinking fund contribution levels in some areas will not meet future maintenance costs, leading to a projected shortfall and unplanned customer expenditure. To prevent this and reduce further deficit growth, an interim increase will be applied to your sinking fund contribution for the 2026/27 financial year. 

There is no specific benefit that you can claim to cover your Carecall charges. However, our Money Advice team will be able to consider whether you are entitled to any benefits that you are not already in receipt of. If this would be useful you can self-refer by contacting: 0161 217 6016 (option 3 followed by option 4) or emailing [email protected].