Housing Grants : Disabled Facilities and Home Repair Assistance
In January 2004 Kennet District Council published its revised Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy (pdf, 161 KB) in accordance with the Regulatory Reform Order 2002. The order removed the legal confines of the previous housing grant system, which has been in existence since 1989 and gave local authorities more flexibility in the way they provide housing renewal assistance.
In place of the previous prescriptive grant system, the Council now has a general power to provide grants, loans, advice and materials for the purpose of repairing, improving, extending, converting or adapting housing accommodation.
This page gives advice on the grants that are currently available to assist in funding adaptations for people with disabilities and in certain circumstances for maintenance, repair and improvement of property.
DISABLED FACILITIES GRANTS
If you or someone living in your property is disabled you may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) towards the cost of providing adaptations and facilities to enable the disabled person to continue to live there.
An applicant must either be the owner of the dwelling or a tenant. A landlord may apply on behalf of a disabled tenant.
A needs assessment will be required from an Occupational Therapist to ensure that the adaptations proposed are necessary, appropriate, reasonable and practicable, taking into account the disability and the existing housing accommodation and facilities provided.
The grant will be subject to a means test, which will assess how much, if anything, the applicant or the disabled person for whom the works are sought must contribute towards the cost of the works.
The means test will take into account the disabled person's average weekly income, any savings and investments held and certain state benefits.
Mandatory DFG's have a maximum amount that can be awarded and may be approved to pay for essential adaptations. These include :
- Level or low level access showering facilities
- Stairlifts and through floor lifts
- Ramps and widening doorways
- Improving or providing a heating system
- Improving access to facilities in the home
In certain circumstances a discretionary DFG may also be awarded for works that are discretionary in nature or where the mandatory works exceed the mandatory grant limit. Examples of discretionary adaptations include :
- Providing a safe play area for a disabled child
- Providing a shelter for a motorised scooter
You may download the Disabled Facilities Grant Enquiry form (pdf, 26 KB) here.
This should be sent to Environmental Health & Protection Services at Kennet District Council, Browfort, Bath Road, Devizes, SN10 2AT.
Leaflets available :
- Kennet Care & Repair 'Adapting to Your Needs' (pdf, 201 KB)
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE
Relocation assistance up to £10,000 will be considered for owner/occupiers where relocation is considered the most effective or practical option and where the existing home is unsuitable for improvement or adaptation.
The grant will cover costs including estate agents fees, solicitors fees, stamp duty and difference in purchase price.
The Council must have inspected the new property prior to a grant being awarded.
The grant will be subject to a means test being carried out.
MAJOR WORKS ASSISTANCE
Works eligible for Major Works Assistance will be those required to make a dwelling fit for human habitation, or to reduce the risk to the health and safety of the occupants to an acceptable level.
Major Works Assistance will generally be considered for owner-occupiers and in some circumstances, lease-holders and private tenants with repairing obligations. Applicants must have owned and resided in the property for 3 years (except where the works are required together with disabled adaptations).
Major Works Assistance will be means tested and subject to a maximum ceiling of £15,000. Priority will be given to those applicants who are unable to fund the necessary repairs by any other means such as equity release.
The grant will be required to be repaid to the Council should the property be disposed of within the grant condition period of 10 years
Major Works Assistance for landlords will only be considered on a case by case basis and in return for nomination rights being granted where works bring back into use an empty home.
MINOR WORKS ASSISTANCE
Minor Works Assistance will generally be considered for urgent minor repairs or adaptations, such as urgent adaptations to allow a hospitalised patient to return to their home.
Assistance will be considered for works up to a maximum limit of £5,000 in relation to one property over a 5 year period, and is limited to a maximum of £3,500 per application.
Minor Works Assistance is generally available to those applicants who are receiving a means tested benefit or have a means test outcome of less than £1,000.
OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE
Equity release loans scheme
The Council is currently working with the other Wiltshire Local Authorities to develop an equity release loans scheme. It is the government's view that homeowners are primarily responsible for maintaining their homes and should seek other ways of funding repairs particularly where properties have high equity values.
Handihelp scheme
Kennet currently sponsors the Handihelp scheme, operated by Care & Repair. The scheme operates a small-scale repair service to assist older or disabled people in carrying out items of maintenance or disrepair. These include minor joinery and plumbing works, fitting locks and security chains, fitting smoke detectors and minor repairs.
Kennet Care & Repair
Kennet Care & Repair support older and disabled people and offer free advice and help in organising repairs, improvements or adaptations. They also offer an agency service to assist those applicants over 60 or disabled in making and submitting a grant application to the Council.
CENTRAL HEATING & INSULATION GRANTS
The Council does not deal with these types of grants, however you may be able to get a grant for heating and insulation improvements through our partner agency the Wiltshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre
Please telephone the Wiltshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on freephone 0800 512 012
USEFUL CONTACTS
Kennet District Council
Environmental Protection & Housing Services
Browfort
Bath Road
Devizes SN10 2AT
Telephone 01380 724 911
or email kennet@kennet.gov.uk
Ridgeway Care & Repair (Kennet)
Sarsen Court
Horton Avenue
Cannings Hill
Devizes SN10 2AZ
Telephone 01380 735 333
or email kcr@ridgewaycommunity.org.uk