A Housing Association is offering shopping vouchers as an incentive to tenants to prepare for welfare reform.
Orbit Group has expanded an existing scheme called Pro Points which rewards tenants for good behaviour and paying rent on time. The scheme, which Orbit says has reduced rent arrears by £500,000 since 2010, is now being used to encourage tenants to change the way they pay their rent.
Under the scheme, tenants who set up direct debits or who put money aside to prepare for benefit being paid direct to them, are awarded Pro Points. These can be exchanged for shopping vouchers in around 20,000 different shops.