Landlord's welfare reform video tailored by 20 other organisations

Published by 24publishing for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Local Government, Universal Credit

A YouTube video produced by a housing association for its tenants to explain wide-ranging changes to the benefits system has been tailored by 20 other organisations and raised £10,000 for a hospice.

Halton Housing Trust produced the informative infographic - designed by award-winning agency Reason Digital - for its customers six months ago.

Since it went live on the social media platform back in June it has racked up more than 6,000 hits.

The video has proved so succesful, that it's now been tailored by 20 housing associations, councils and Citizens Advice Bureaus around the country wanting to replicate its key messages.

Earlier this month, 24housing magazine teamed up with payment collection specialists allpay to launch the Welfare Aware awards which seeks to showcase the best ways housing associations and councils are communicating benefit changes to residents.

Anna Lambert, communications manager at the Trust, said: “We’ve received enquiries from a wide range of organisations asking if they can use our video as a tool for communicating to their customers." 

In agreement with Reason Digital, the Trust allowed others to tailor the video if they donated £500 to Halton Haven Hospice. "In the last four months alone we’ve raised nearly £5,000," said Lambert.

“As our chosen charity for the last four years, we like to help the Hospice wherever we can. We aim to raise even more money in March when our staff take part in Run the Bridge.”

Halton Haven Hospice’s fundraising manager, Ciaran Clotworthy, said: “This is such a fantastic and innovative way to raise money and it’s no surprise that a company like the Trust would raise over £10,000 through this unique and creative way. I can’t thank them enough for their continued support. Without the support of friends like them, the Hospice would not be able to provide specialist palliative care to patients from Halton and surrounding areas.”

In April, social tenants in receipt of housing benefit will see their payments reduced if they have unoccupied bedrooms in their homes.

Dubbed the “bedroom tax”, the change means that many people will see a reduction in their benefit payments if they have a spare bedroom. Universal Credit, a new single payment replacing a variety of means tested benefits, will come into force in October 2013.