News & Blog

The latest welfare benefits news and updates from our Money Matters Team. New Regulations for ‘Protected’ Mixed Aged Couples (MAC) Effective from 8 June 2024 New Regulations are coming into effect on 8 June 2024 for all ‘protected’ Mixed Aged Couples (MAC) to retain their ‘protection’ even if they claim Universal Credit (UC) after receiving […]

Happy 10th Birthday to Insight, our customer scrutiny group who’ve been looking and examining areas of service, since 2014. The group volunteer time to support scrutiny of services to make a difference for all customers, providing critical challenge of service performance and holding Great Places accountable. Last year, Insight scrutinised three areas of service which […]

When your expectations aren’t met, it can be frustrating.  We work hard to provide you with an excellent service. Sometimes, things may not go as planned. When services fall below our agreed standards, we do everything we can to put things right by being transparent, fair and appropriate and making sure we listen and learn.  […]

Great Places has appointed a new Chief Executive to replace Matt Harrison who is standing down after more than 10 years in the job and over 30 years with the organisation. Alison Dean, currently Deputy Chief Executive, has accepted the position and will take over from Matt on 1 July 2024. Alison joined Great Places […]

The Housing Ombudsman has launched a consultation for social housing landlords and is looking for feedback on its principles of good practice and proposed approach to delivering good practice. The overall aim of Good Practice is to drive improvements for social housing customers through learning from complaints. The new proposed approach is to encourage landlords […]

Work is progressing in preparation for submission of plans for Russell Road towards to the end of next month. Thanks to everyone who shared their views on our plans as part of the consultation. Following the consultation and further discussions with the planning team at Manchester City Council, we’ve been working with the project architects […]

Great Places has started work on our £20m apartment scheme at Laystall Street just off Great Ancoats Street, in Manchester city centre. The new nine-storey residential development, being delivered in partnership with Eric Wright Construction and part-funded by Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund, will provide 89 one and two-bed apartments […]

Universal Credit is a welfare benefit to help people with living costs. It must be claimed online and you will be responsible for managing your claim in your Universal Credit journal. Help to Claim can support you in the early stages of your Universal Credit claim, from the application through to your first payment. Help […]

Insight customer scrutiny group has just finished their review looking at how communal space in and around neighbourhoods and blocks of flats are managed to ensure these are places people wish to live. What Insight heard from customers is that it is important these spaces are maintained, kept clean, safe, and free from hazards or […]