Mrs C Cooney from Dagenham won the top prize of £250 with the runner up prizes going to Dagenham’s Mr and Mrs Hyde and Mr Balogun from Barking who received cheques for £100 respectively.
This is a regular prize draw which encourages Council tenants to move to paying their rents by direct debit. To qualify to enter in the draw, tenants will have to pay their rent by direct debit and have done so for a period of two months and not be in arrears.
Presenting the cheque to Mrs Cooney, Councillor Phil Waker, Cabinet Member for Housing said: “In the difficult economic climate faced by communities across the country, this Council is committed to supporting our residents through tough times and paying by direct debit helps to do just that.
“Paying your rent and other bills by direct debit means that tenants will not forget to or be prevented from paying their rent, this regular payment means they will not put having a roof over their head at risk. In addition, the costs of collecting rent falls which means that there are more resources available to improve services for tenants.
“I would like to encourage all residents to consider paying their rent by this method and congratulate the residents who won the draw.”
About 4,500 Barking and Dagenham tenants currently pay their rents by direct debit out of nearly 20,000, and the number paying this way is increasing.
A delighted Mrs Cooney on receiving her cheque said: “I am glad I made the decision to start paying my direct debit as this now means I do not have to worry about missing a payment. The money will definitely come in handy for planned works to my property and I will encourage other residents to consider it.”