Financial Help for Property Repairs/Improvements
What is Decent Homes Assistance?
Decent Homes Assistance replaces the housing 'staying put' and 'home repair assistance' grants.They are specifically designed to provide practical help through works for repairs, improvements, adaptations or security measures to a property, house boat or mobile home to improve health and safety. This may include rewiring, damp-proofing works and rectification of defects which are likely to cause injury or ill health to occupants or others.
The financial assistance is open to home owners or tenanted properties. It is not open to tenants of Registered Social Landlords, for example Community Housing.
For owner occupiers the financial assistance is for vulnerable persons i.e. those on certain benefits such as income support or working tax credit up to a specific income level.
The assistance for tenanted properties is not to provide for basic standards due to be provided by the landlord anyway but to improve in the provision of insulation and fire precautions for example.
Normally a charge for the cost of the works will be put on the property so that the money will be repaid to the Council when the house is sold at some future date.
The works assisted will be those that help the property to become 'decent' i.e. free from significant hazards, reasonable thermal comfort and modern facilities e.g. kitchen and bathroom.
Minor works under £250 will be carried out without a charge being placed on the property. This handyman type service complements services provided by Age Concern for example and could cover for problems such as a few slipped tiles or providing some simple electrical repairs.
For further details please contact the North Worcestershire Care and Repair Agency who act for the Council to administer this assistance. Telephone 01562 732799.
