Who’s Keeping Track of All These Service Charges?
Usually, I leave my wife to handle service charge matters—and for that matter, all our financial arrangements. While I’ve suspected for some time that these charges are extortionately priced—especially given the poor service we receive—I hadn’t looked too closely. Frankly, I don’t enjoy dealing with figures, and if I wanted to work with numbers, I’d have become an accountant.
But that changed recently when my neighbour knocked on my door, visibly upset. GreenSquareAccord had re-estimated the charges and now demanded an additional £250 a month for the next six months. This increase was set to start in November, continuing over Christmas and through winter—right in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. It wasn’t just one neighbour struggling; many residents would be impacted, and I suspect many others across multiple counties.
As I started examining the figures, it quickly became clear that something was wrong. Errors were glaringly obvious, even on the first page. These discrepancies were highlighted in my GSA Way podcast, Unaffordable Housing. We pushed back, questioning GreenSquareAccord’s math and asking them to explain the discrepancies.
In a break from their usual behaviour, GreenSquareAccord was quick to respond and admitted that there had indeed been an error, advising everyone to hold fire while they double-checked their calculations. Imagine my surprise!
Bypassing Accountability?
What also became apparent was a troubling pattern. By re-estimating and backdating charges, GreenSquareAccord had effectively bypassed the need for a Section 20 consultation. Under the law, housing providers must conduct a Section 20 consultation for any works or services exceeding £250 per household. By manipulating the timeline—whether by accident or design—they avoided this requirement.
We also requested a Section 22 inspection, which entitles residents to review receipts and invoices related to the charges. Initially, Victoria Lancaster, GreenSquareAccord’s finance director, acknowledged this request and confirmed their obligation to respond within the 28-day legal window. Yet, no response arrived until we followed up. The excuse? They had “not received” our email—this despite the original email being acknowledged and sent with senior leadership and external parties copied in.
When the information finally arrived, it was incomplete. Instead of receipts, they sent screenshots of their internal CRM system—completely inadequate and not compliant with the law. This response exemplifies GreenSquareAccord’s ongoing issues: poor communication, lack of record-keeping, lack of accountability, and failure to meet even basic legal obligations.
The Bigger Question: Who’s Checking?
A significant portion of these service charges is paid via Housing Benefit. So, who is checking the accuracy of these figures? If errors were so easy for me to spot, why had nobody else noticed? How did these mistakes bypass GreenSquareAccord’s internal checks?
How have councils—who I assume are focused on ensuring tight budgets are not broken by overcharging from housing providers unable to conduct basic account-keeping—not noticed these errors?
As I mentioned, I’m no accountant, yet the mistakes were clear. With this in mind, how many other oversights and errors might be slipping through unnoticed? How much government money is being misallocated or overcharged by GreenSquareAccord?
This concern is compounded by internal instability within GreenSquareAccord’s financial leadership. With their CFO departing and a finance director less than 12 months into the role, it’s clear this department lacks stability.
It raises the critical question: Who is ensuring housing providers like GreenSquareAccord are held accountable? Who ensures councils and the government aren’t being defrauded by incorrect service charges, whether through error or intent?
I’ve escalated these issues, copying MPs into emails, but so far, these concerns have been met with silence.
Demanding Accountability
We’ve pushed back, stating that CRM screenshots are not sufficient evidence of an invoice. These issues will be addressed more comprehensively on both the This Is GSA Way podcast and the GreenSquareAccord Resident Support site.
But for now, this blog raises a broader question: Who is watching? Who is keeping account? Who do residents turn to for support when faced with such systemic failings?
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be emailing anyone I feel can offer support, asking: Who is ensuring service charges are accurate? Who is ensuring that housing providers like GreenSquareAccord, under Ruth Cook’s leadership, are not defrauding councils or the government through inflated charges, whether by error, incompetence, or design?
This is a question of trust, accountability, and fairness. It’s time for those responsible to step up and ensure the system works as it should.
To be continued…