Family Housing Association Ltd - Birkenhead & Wirral

After over 20 year's service to FHA, supporting our tenants and the wider public, our Receptionist Helen is due to retire, with Friday 15th May being her last day in the office. Helen has always worked hard to look after our tenants, and she has been there to support many of you through difficult times. Helen will be missed by many of our tenants and her colleagues. If any of our tenants would like to call in and say goodbye, Helen will be available until 3pm on Friday. Everyone at FHA wishes Helen a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Please see Citizens Advice Wirral's latest Cost of Living Newsletter that brings together the latest updates and practical support to help you stay on top of your finances. ‌ ­‌

Help with the Cost of Living - Welcome to Citizens Advice Wirral – Citizens Advice Wirral Access the latest editions of our monthly newsletter, filled with practical tips and advice to help you manage rising living costs.

Family Housing Association are looking to recruit a Customer Service Administrator. Working as part of a small team, this role provides an important link between our tenants and our services and provides administrative support for the whole team. All applications received by Sunday 29th March 2026 will be considered. Please click here for further information:

Family Housing Association     In addition, they will not work Bank Holidays or the three days between Christmas and New Year (although the Christmas days are at the discretion of the Chief Executive) .     

Christmas Opening Hours: Please note that the office will close at 12.30pm on 24th December and will re-open on Friday 2nd January at 9am. Our tenants can report Emergency Repairs by calling the office and following the instructions. For repairs that are not an emergency or for other matters, please leave a message or log repairs online using the 'Tenant Services' option on the website. We will check and respond to messages on Monday 29th, Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st December. The Board and Staff of Family Housing Association wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a happy and healthy 2026.

Office Closure: Please note that the office will close at 12 noon on Friday 19th December and will re-open on Monday 22nd December at 9am as usual. Emergency repairs can be reported in the usual way by calling the office and following the instructions.

The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free UK wide service which provides extra advice and support, including when there’s an interruption to your electricity, gas or water supply. It helps utility companies look after customers who have extra communication, access or safety needs.

You can join the Priority Services Register if you:

Are over the age of 60
Have a special communication need
Depend on electricity for home or medical care
Have a child under 5 years of age
Have chronic illness
Or just feel you need a little extra help

To register for the priority register:

For electric its Scottish Power Energy Networks, please visit https://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/priority_services_register_form.aspx or contact 0330 10 10 167

For Gas, its Cadent and you can register at https://cadentgas.com/help-and-advice/priority-services-register or contact 0800 389 8000.

For Water its United Utilities and you can register https://myaccount.unitedutilities.com/PriorityService or contact 0345 072 6093.

Priority service| My Account| United Utilities You can sign up for our free Priority Services scheme or update your existing details by filling out the form below. If you would prefer to speak to us, please give us a call on 0345 072 6093.

The following website is a good resource for social housing tenants about understanding their rights, offers guidance and training opportunities

Four Million Homes - Knowledge and action for change in social housing Guidance on social housing resident rights and how to stand up for them, plus webinars, videos, and free training events across England.

This is a reminder of the Photography Competition Family Housing Association is holding for our tenants that was detailed in our Annual Report. There are 2 categories; external photo's of your homes, gardens and neighbourhoods and photos of Wirral Landmarks. There are two prizes for each category; a first prize of £50 and second prize of £25. Prizes will be awarded in store vouchers. Please send your photo's to [email protected]. The closing date is 30th September 2025. We've enjoyed the photographs we have received so far and look forward to seeing some more.

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Consultation: As part of the Decent Homes Standard review, the Government has also launched a consultation on the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for social housing. The proposals could have a very significant impact on our tenants' homes as they include measures designed to move away from fossil fuels and gas central heating. This could require massive investment by landlords to replace gas boilers with electric heat pumps. Heat pumps need to be left running constantly to be effective and so it may be difficult for those on low incomes to afford to run them. The closing date for this consultation is 11.45pm on 10th September 2025. Visit https://consult.communities.gov.uk/social-housing/srs-mees-consultation/ to take part in the consultation.

Improving the Energy Efficiency of Socially Rented Homes in England - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - Citizen Space Find and participate in consultations run by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Decent Homes Standard Consultation: The Government has launched a consultation on a new Decent Homes Standard which is the minimum standard that rented homes much reach. There are significant changes proposed to the existing standard that would have an impact on how landlords maintain their homes. Anyone can take part in the consultation which can be completed on line at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-a-reformed-decent-homes-standard-for-social-and-privately-rented-homes - the consultation closes on 10th September 2025 at 11:45pm.

Consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes A reformed Decent Homes Standard will establish the minimum housing standards that tenants in both social and private rented sectors can expect from their landlords.