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Everything you need to know about issuing decorating allowances.

Decorating allowances

We have an agreement with B&Q who supply redecorating items to tenants to buy decorating items through a gift voucher requested on their portal.  The current agreement started Jan 2024 is for 5 years with two optional extensions of one year each.    Allowances are generally given to new tenants (if their home hasn't been redecorated when void) or tenants who might have had decorations damaged by repair work carried out in their homes.  The latter are issued by repairs and improvements.

Click here to see the full procedure.

This gives more detail about the paying process than is outlined below and details about the management of the same scheme by colleagues in repairs and improvements.

Across landlord services and repairs there are a number of named officers set up who can activate cards with B&Q on the webportal. These are users.

Users are supported by a maximum of four super users. At present these super users are Cath Armstrong, (service development), Darren Pacheco (repairs) and officers in 6th floor business support.

Users:

  • Load cards with a value.

  • Check balances.

  • Cancel cards.

  • Order new swipe cards.

  • Check the consolidated weekly invoice from B&Q against the cards they have loaded the previous week.

 

Super users, as well the ability to do the above:

  • Add in or delete new users.
  • Add in or delete other super users.
  • Run administrative reports as and when required.


Neighbourhood managers or Users managers (NHs) are responsible for;

  • checking by sampling their team's invoices including checking any with no identifying name or address on the invoice;
  • advising business support as users leave or need setting up; and
  • being the first point of contact for their team in the event of any query over use of the webportal.

The service development officer super user checks the monthly statement against weekly invoices.

Financial controls check the direct debits against the monthly statements and post the annual rebate back into the correct budget code.

The budget for voids and other redecorating allowances is owned by property services.

Last updated: 28 April 2023