Paying your rent by Direct Debit offers a hassle-free solution to those who worry about paying their bills on time. A Direct Debit is an instruction from a customer to a bank or building society, authorising an organisation to collect amounts directly from their account. To set this up, please contact us on 01506 439291.

A Standing Order is an instruction from a customer to a bank to make regular fixed payments to a person or organisation. It is different from a Direct Debit, as you set it up directly with your bank. You will need our bank details, your Almond tenancy reference and rent amount to set this up.

This payment option offers automated and secure payments on any date of the month and provides flexibility for payments to be altered with no risk of bank charges for failed payments to the customer. To set this up, please contact us on 01506 439291.

This is free to download on your smartphone or tablet device and enables you to pay your rent quickly and easily at the touch of a button. Once you’ve downloaded the app, all you need is your PRN and bank account details to make a payment.

This is a secure online payment service enabling you to conveniently pay your rent anytime from a PC, mobile or tablet device. You can make regular or one-off rent payments, store bank cards and view your payment history. All you need is internet access, your PRN, and a current bank card and go to www.allpayments.net to register.

You can pay your rent by phoning 0330 041 6497 at any time of the day. Have your PRN and your debit or credit card ready. Each time you use this service, you will be given an authorisation code as proof of payment. Keep a pen handy so you can write down the authorisation code.

You can also call our Housing Services Team to make a payment. From April 2022, there will be a significant change to this transaction and instead of providing us with your bank details, you will instead be asked to insert your card details using your own keypad device. The card details will be stored in an encrypted secure file with allpay and will be fully compliant to industry standards to ensure that all transactions are protected against any threats of fraud or cyber-attacks.

You can use your allpay payment card to pay at any outlet displaying one of the following signs:

From May 2018, Full Service Universal Credit was introduced to West Lothian. Universal Credit (UC) is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and replaced six key benefits and tax credits with one single monthly lump sum payment.

*Certain groups of people will continue to claim Housing Benefit. Contact your Housing Officer if you have been told that you cannot get your housing costs through UC. Applications for UC should be made online at: www.gov.uk/universal-credit

If you get help with your rent, this will be included in your Universal Credit payment (referred to as ‘Housing Costs’). It will be your responsibility to pay the full amount to your landlord directly. In Scotland however, you can request that your UC payment is split and that the rent payment is paid directly to your landlord. But if you do not request this, then your rent payment will be made to you.

For UC applicants who do not pay their rent in full, landlords can request that your rent is taken from your UC payment and made directly to them. They can also request an amount to cover rent arrears, if you have them. They do not need your permission to do this. If you think this is happening speak to your Housing Officer, it is likely that they have been trying to contact you before requesting this.

Following the introduction, on 16th May 2018, of Universal Credit in West Lothian you can only claim Housing Benefit if you meet one or more of the following conditions: -

· You live in and pay rent for a property in which you receive care, support or supervision.

· You live in and pay rent for temporary accommodation.

· You are liable to pay rent and are entitled to a Severe Disability Premium or have been entitled to a Severe Disability Premium in the last month.

· You are liable to pay rent and have reached your state pension age, and are not part of a mixed age couple, a mixed age couple is where one member of a couple has reached pension age and the other is still of working age.

To find out if you are eligible for Housing Benefit, contact West Lothian Council on 01506 439291.