Jon Zlotnick, Policy & Training Officer, Brent Council:
"hbnotes has completely changed the way in which we deal with HB policy questions. We now use it as our first point of contact for dealing with all queries and when preparing training courses. It has proved to be an invaluable tool."
Geralyn Lewis, Research and Policy Manager, Glasgow Housing Association
“We have found hbnotes to be a valuable resource. I am particularly impressed by the detailed coverage of the welfare reforms."
Gerty Walker, Financial Advice Officer, WM Housing Group
“I must say, I love your site. It is very educational & it has helped boost my confidence, enabling me to give our tenants more assistance.”
Rashid Patel, Income Maximisation Manager, Places for People
“hbnotes has been a very helpful tool for Places for People in preventing and reducing arrears. Our more experienced benefit advisors can keep up to date with on-going changes to Housing Benefit and other Welfare benefits, whilst also providing excellent guidance around challenging HB departments and their decisions. It also allows frontline staff with limited benefit knowledge to inform and assist our customers more confidently. The standard letters are fantastic and the website is very informative and easy to use.”
Kelly Paynter, Neighbourhood Services Officer, London and Quadrant
“With help from hbnotes one of our tenants received a £2745 backdate of HB and this has stopped court proceedings so she can stay in her home.”
John Sims, National Rents & Service Charges Manager, Sanctuary Group
“Really pleased at the speed with which my query was answered. The staff at hbnotes are very knowledgeable and extremely helpful.”
Kate Vaughton, Financial Inclusion Coordinator, Guinness Partnership
“The hbnotes website, query service and newsletter have all been invaluable to me. I have stressed that all housing management staff must make full use of the wonderful accurate and trustworthy material you provide.”
Dave Clubley, Floating Support Worker, Stonham Homestay, Sanctuary Housing
“I find the hbnotes calculator a simple way of informing my clients how much better off they would be in employment.”
Shirley Humphries, Benefits Adviser, West North West Leeds Homes:
"hbnotes is an invaluable tool. It enables front counter staff with no benefit knowledge to inform and assist customers, and provides experienced Benefits Advisers with up to date information and excellent tips on how to challenge the HB Office. Julia and Glenys are massively knowledgeable and have been extremely supportive, with superb training courses. I can't recommend them enough".
Jonathan Branson, Welfare Benefits Officer, Festival Housing Association:
"Despite working in welfare rights for over 20 years, my membership of hbnotes has been invaluable. They are an excellent source of the more technical advice that can make or break appeals. All enquires, including requests for commissioners decisions, are always answered within a working day. The draft letters held on their website are notably very good, saving me and my organisation a great deal of time."
Liz Turner, Housing Manager, Contour Housing:
"We are very glad we decided to register with hbnotes. It has helped reduce arrears, and we have won recent appeals thanks to the letters and guidance. It has contributed to our high standards in Income Management and customer service."
Carol McAllister, Housing Officer, Homes for Northumberland
“The hbnotes site is great – I recently used it to help two residents challenge non-dependant deductions. Both were successful, and we got over £1,000 of underpaid Housing Benefit.”
Martin Adair, Welfare Benefits Advisor, Home Group
“I use the hbnotes website regularly. hbnotes is always clear and easy to understand, even when a problem is quite complicated. There are so many things on the website that help me on a daily basis to provide support to the thousands of tenants that our Association provides homes for.”
Claire Urquhart, Tenancy Support Assistant, Sanctuary Housing
“I use hbnotes for the standard letters which I have found really useful and it is a great tool for clarification on non-dependant deductions and temporary absences.”
Nicola Buckley, Rent Recovery Officer, Eastlands Homes:
"My advice to any organisation that does not use hbnotes is to have a test of the system: once used you wonder how you ever coped without it. The website is a fantastic tool for helping people deal with a wide variety of benefit issues, and means we are able to give on the spot advice to our residents."