Coronavirus update: lockdown January 2021

Services

Following the government announcement that England will be in tier 5 full lockdown until at least mid-February 2021 we’ll continue to support you and deliver as many of our services as possible with minimal disruption.

Lockdown January 2021

Here’s a quick summary of everything you need to know. We’ll continue to monitor and follow government guidance and update you if anything changes.

Our offices

Our offices have been closed since Thursday 5  November and the majority of A2Dominion staff are working from home. We’ve been doing this for a while now, so we don’t expect it will disrupt our services to you.

Repairs and compliance services

Repairs and compliance services (e.g. gas checks) will continue as usual as much as possible, which has been our approach since the first lockdown in March 2020. As always, our main priority is the health and wellbeing of our customers and staff, so we’ve adapted our services to follow government advice around social distancing and protective equipment.

Find out more about our repair services during lockdown, including what to do if you have coronavirus or you’re self-isolating.

Construction, property rental and sales

The government has said that construction, property rental and new home sales can continue so there’ll be no change to these areas. We already have the correct precautions in place to make sure these areas continue to operate as safely as possible for everybody.

Find out more about how we’re working at our sites

Advice for our student customers

We’re working with our university partners to provide guidance that is specific to our student customers and will publish this as soon as possible on our Covid-19 information for students help page.

You can find out more about how the new lockdown affects universities and students on the UK government website.

Moving home (including mutual exchanges)

At the moment, government guidelines allow for people to move house so mutual exchanges (home swaps) are continuing as usual. We’ve made some important changes to the way we carry out mutual exchanges to keep you and our staff safe. It’s important that you follow these guidelines so your mutual exchange can go head.

While this is our current approach, we may pause mutual exchanges if government advice about moving house changes. We’ll continue to monitor and follow government Covid-19 guidance and update our website.

You can find out more about moving home during the new lockdown on the UK government website.

Cleaning and grounds maintenance


Our cleaning and grounds maintenance services are currently operating as usual where it’s possible, including cleaning, landscaping, window cleaning, bulk removal and tree works.

Bedbug treatment has been suspended to minimise risk of Covid-19 transmission to our staff and customers and this service will be reviewed each week. Our pest control contractor – Monitor – will provide a self-help leaflet until we can resume treatments. All other pest control services will generally continue as usual, but it might take us a little longer to respond to your requests due to staff shortages as a result of shielding, illness and so on.

Benefits update

We’ve updated our overview of changes to benefits during the Covid-19 outbreak, with links to where you can find out more. This includes:

  • Universal credit and working tax credits
  • Furloughed employees
  • Legacy benefits including housing benefit, child tax credits, council tax support
  • Job centres
  • Council tax reductions

As the government’s guidance around benefits and the situation with the virus changes, we’ll update this information.

Frequently asked questions

We’ve answered some of your frequently asked questions about our services during lockdown on our website including:

  • Is the Customer Contact Centre open?
  • Can I still arrange a repair at my home?
  • Can I arrange a mutual exchange (house swap) during lockdown?
  • What is happening in accommodation for students and key workers?
  • Am I entitled to additional benefits or financial support during the Covid-19 outbreak?

Visit our Covid-19 FAQ page for the answers to these questions and more.

How you can limit the spread of Covid-19

To keep yourself, your family and our communities safe and limit the spread of Covid-19, remember to follow the latest health advice on the NHS website and official advice on the UK Government website.

Struggling financially?

Our team is on hand to support you with any financial queries you might have including changes to benefits, access to funds and budgeting. Call our Customer Contact Centre on 0800 432 0077 and ask to speak to a tenancy sustainment officer (TSO). We’re here to help.