Comments on: Fast Trak to the rescue for social housing tenants

By: Tessa Shepperson

Tessa Shepperson — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:59:55 +0000

If anyone has any further queries about this service, perhaps they could contact Fast Trak direct, as I am now going to close comments here. No more comments will be published.

By: Damon Thomas

Damon Thomas — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:10:46 +0000

Dear Rosa,

I am sorry to learn you are dissapointed with the service and I am happy to discuss your particular case directly if you would like to make contact, but would confirm that FastTrak offers all customers with a promise to refund your application deposit of £99 on request if we are not successful in finding you a property within 90 days.

Housing benefit rates are set by local authorities, not by FastTrak, and we can only work within these rates and an individuals personal affordability. We try and discourage tenants renting above their means, hence we will not approve tenancies at a rate higher than the level a client has been assessed for. If a tenant wishes to rent above that rate, then it is only permissable with an upfront payment, but I would stress that we neither recommend a client does this nor support the principle of clients doing this.

By: Rosa

Rosa — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:38:38 +0000

I am very disappoointed with Fasttrak, I contacted them in May 2010 of this year and upto until now nothing has happened. I paid up £99 as administration fee and to be honest I wish I had not. The area where I live, you cannot find a flat with exact the same rent as one gets from benefits that means one has top up the difference, when I contacted them regarding this, I was told that if I wanted a flat that the rent is about £50 more than my housing benefit, I would have to pay upfront the difference for the year, the things is if I can afford to pay up that kind of money then obviously I would not need them. The reason I want to move out from my flat is because the flat does not have central heating but have portable electric heaters which are so expensive to run. Last month, one of the representatives called me to go and view a flat which has electric heating which is what I am trying to run away from. I have emailed them asking them what next and they have basically told me that most of the flats nowadays are electric central heating which is not true. I want to ask my £99 back because I cannot see them helping me at all.

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:25:54 +0000

I got throught to them, it took a while. However, they couldn’t help me at the time, because, I have just seperated from my husband, and we are buying this house. I wish to move, but am still on the mortgage. Even though I had spoken to several agents, explaining the situation, not on eof them told me (or were aware) that as I was still named on the mortgage I could not apply fro Housing Benefit, even though I am now on JSA. It was Fasttrak that told me this. My husband wants to keep the house on, so we are now writing to the lenders to have my name and any claim removed. Fingers Crossed.

By: Tessa Shepperson

Tessa Shepperson — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:20:48 +0000

Thanks Martirossi, glad you were sucessful in finding a place, thats great.

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