Introduced by Newcastle City Council and Your Homes Newcastle (YHN), new payment cards will hold a individual's details safely and securely. This means people can pay their Council tax and rent in over 130 outlets across the city, in cash at their own convenience. They can in fact pay at any PayPoint outlet or Post Office across the country – giving them even more freedom of choice. The council is working with Your Homes Newcastle to keep people informed and have sent out letters, information and application forms. The council have already held several ”payment card road show” across the city to help people with any questions they might have.
Alternatively customers can call the specially set up phone line or visit the website www.newcastle.gov.uk/customers.
Anyone wishing to continue to pay their council tax by cash or cheque at a Post Office or by cash at a PayPoint outlet will need to apply to the council for a payment card. Tenants will be automatically issued with their rent payment cards within coming weeks.
The move is all part of major service improvements introduced from 1 September when customers will no longer be able to pay rent or council tax over the counter at most of their local Your Homes Newcastle housing offices. They will be able to continue to pay at any Customer Service Centres or at Benwell and Gosforth housing offices and the new Walker Centre, in addition to the 130 new outlets. There are also over 13,000 post offices and 11,000 paypoint outlets nationally where people can make their rent and council tax payments.
Later this year the council will also be introducing more ways in which people can pay regular bills and one-off payments through the internet and automated telephone as part of a major modernisation programme to increase choice and improve access for all sectors of the community.
Executive Member for modernisation, transformation and regulation Coun Anita Lower said: “This is yet another example of the council’s ongoing modernisation programme providing a better service to taxpayers. Making sure everyone pays their rent and council tax regularly ensures a better service to everyone.
“Introducing more places to pay is a great advantage to local people as it gives them more choice in terms of when and where they pay their bills at their convenience .
“For further information customers can call the hot line or Customer Service Centre, where a member of staff will by only too pleased to answer any questions.”
Chair of Your Homes Newcastle, Bill Midgley said: “Your Homes Newcastle is modernising the housing service to make it more appropriate for people’s modern way of lives. The introduction of swipe cards means tenants can pay their rent at a greatly(- )increased number of outlets.
“The cards are safe – the people receiving your money and card won’t even need to know what you are paying and won’t be able to access any personal information. They will hopefully also help us to collect more rent so that we can continue to deliver an improved housing service to our tenants.”
Martine said: “This is so much more convenient for me as before I had to write a cheque or travel into town as there was no local housing office in Brunswick Village”.
The card carries the account details of the holder, which are held securely and can only be read by special machines at the Post Office, PayPoint and Council outlets.
Quelle: Publictechnology, 26.07.2005
