With the ever increasing attention on the raising of standards in key housing management functions, and the need for the wider use of information technology, we invited allpay.net Ltd. to discuss the background of the Company and the challenges ahead.
Submitted by Jon Land, allpay.net News Manager.
Tel: 01432 852423.
Bill payment solutions specialist allpay.net Limited has become one of the country's fastest growing companies, as housing associations and local authorities across the UK recognise the importance of offering a range of payment options and services to their tenants.
In a recent report, the Audit Commission identified rent arrears as a "significant and growing problem" for social landlords, with "serious implications for both landlords and tenants" (Audit Commission report into Rent Arrears published November 2002).
The report stated that a relatively small decline in the proportion of rent collected can have a significant impact on service delivery, citing the example of how a 1% decline in the rent collection rate in Wales during a 12-month period was equivalent to around £4 million – the cost of maintaining more than 5,700 homes for a year.
Allpay.net's Managing Director Tony Killeen had been aware of this problem for years. From his work with Hereford Council he began to realise the high-costs and logistical problems that plagued traditional methods, such as door-to-door collections, particularly in rural areas, and the mountain of paper that drowned his office.
Fortunately, Tony came up with an answer and is now passing on his expertise and services to hundreds of housing associations and local authorities.
"It was very frustrating working with paper-based bill payment systems," he said. "I knew there had to be a better way. This gave me the idea of using technology to speed up this process. What I used to do on paper at the Council we now do with plastic swipecards."
And with more than 40,000 outlets nation-wide currently accepting payments on allpay.net's electronic swipe card network and the variety of other methods also available, including via the Internet, direct debit, bar-coding, telephone and even text messaging, the Company provides its users with a comprehensive service - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This is a good thing says the Audit Commission, which identified efficient and effective payment collection methods combined with a wide choice of convenient options for tenants as one of the key ways to reduce rent arrears.
However, the pace of change has been slow with a third of social landlords not offering the option of paying by direct debit and only a tenth offering online payment facilities.
The beauty of the allpay.net system is its ease-of-use for tenants and the hands-on approach of the company's staff who will take its clients through every aspect of the process.
In a bid to minimise costs, so important when housing associations and local authorities have to adhere to strict budgets, allpay.net offers complete in-house design and swipecard production facilities with next-day turnaround for new or replacement system cards. The newly incorporated allpay.print division additionally offers clients a professional design and production service for any item of business stationery from leaflets and newsletters to the bulk mailing of statements and rent increase letters.
Some of the biggest housing authorities in the country are already reaping the rewards of their contract with allpay.net Limited.
Gail Biggerstaff, London & Quadrant Housing Trust's Service Development Manager, said: "We've used allpay.net for quite a while now. We started using them for just one part of our organisation but then rolled out to the rest of the Trust in April 2001.
"We are very pleased with the range of services they offer. We use them for swipe cards, Internet and telephone payments and mailing our monthly rent statements.
"Allpay.net are a growing, developing company always looking for innovative ways of developing payment solutions and working with the housing sector. We've been very pleased with the service they've given us. We also use their direct debit and telephone payment services."
For more information about allpay.net and the range of services it provides to the social housing sector contact Sales Office Manager Ian Bell on 0870 243 3434, or visit www.allpay.net.