Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy

Summary of Grants (D)

D1 waiver of up to £5,000 contribution following means test

Who can apply

disabled owner-occupiers
disabled private-sector tenants
landlords of disabled private- sector tenants

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Eligible for mandatory DFG

Subject to means test

Amount available

Up to £5,000 of first £5,000 of assessed contribution.

Charge on property/local land charges

D2 Help with assessed contribution exceeding £5000 following means test

Who can apply

disabled owner-occupiers
disabled private-sector tenants
landlords of disabled private- sector tenants

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Eligible for mandatory DFG

In cases where there is particular difficulty/exceptional circumstances paying an assessed contribution following the statutory means test, all applicants will be given the opportunity to complete a financial statement of their exceptional outgoings which must be specifically linked to their disability such as care costs, transport to treatment, overnight accommodation for parents with children in hospital etc.
This list of exceptional disability related expenses will be considered by the Council and a decision made on a case by case basis.
The assessment considers the impact and hardship on the applicant/family created specifically by the need to spend resources on these areas.

Subject to means test

Yes – linked to D1 first £5,000 of contribution to be waived

Amount available

No maximum

Charge on property/local land charges

D3 Funding in excess of current maximum mandatory grant (also known as a ‘Top up grant’)

Who can apply

disabled owner-occupiers
disabled private-sector tenants
landlords of disabled private- sector tenants

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Eligible for mandatory DFG

Intended for Major adaptations which have been identified as essential to meet the disabled person and their family’s needs & once all other options (such as moving) have been considered.

Subject to means test

Yes (see link to D1 re first £5000 of contribution to be waived and D2 help with assessed contribution)

Amount available

No set upper limit subject to an assessment that the works are both necessary and appropriate and reasonable and practicable.

Grants over £15,000 to be approved by Head of Service

Charge on property/local land charges

Yes – a charge for the full amount is placed on owner occupied property for a 10 year period.

Charges will not apply to Housing Associations or privately rented property.

D4 Moving Home Grant

Who can apply

disabled owner-occupiers
disabled private-sector tenants

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Eligible for mandatory DFG

To assist when moving to more suitable accommodation is the more affordable option or where it is not reasonable or practicable to adapt the property to meet the disabled person’s assessed needs or the property is under/over occupied.

The proposed property must be confirmed as suitable by the relevant Private Sector Housing Standards Teams and be assessed to meet the needs (or be more easily adaptable to do so) of the disabled person by a suitably qualified person with signoff by OT.

Payment can be made only once contracts have been exchanged (owner occupiers) or the tenancy has commenced (rented)

Subject to means test

Amount available

Maximum of £10,000 to cover the costs arising from moving home

Charge on property/local land charges

D5 Hospital Discharge Grants

Who can apply

disabled owner-occupiers
elderly persons
disabled private-sector tenants
landlords of disabled private-sector tenants

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Available to disabled people needing to be discharged home from hospital, rehab or step down beds and to prevent re-admission (or admission) to hospital.

Eligible for up to a month after discharge.

Referrals accepted from adult social care or hospital OT/physiotherapists, rehabilitation/intermediate care teams, discharge coordinator, or Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

Excludes packages of care funded by NHS continuing healthcare.

Works to include anything reasonable which would allow the person to return home/stay at home.

Subject to means test

Amount available

Maximum of £5000

Charge on property/local land charges

D6 Abortive DFG Fees Grant

Who can apply

disabled owner-occupiers
disabled private-sector tenants
landlords of disabled private-sector tenants

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Eligible for mandatory DFG.

To cover reasonable professional fees and associated charges where services engaged to advise on what works are required and specialist technical such as Structural Engineer fees, surveyor fees or similar to determine if a DFG project is feasible.

Subject to means test

Amount available

No upper limit if the costs incurred are necessary and reasonable.

Charge on property/local land charges

D7 Hoarding Grant

Who can apply

owner-occupiers
housing Association tenants
private tenants

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Available to person with physical or mental disability which has contributed to the property being ‘hoarded’ to an extent to affect the physical or mental wellbeing of the occupant.

Subject to means test

Amount available

Up to a maximum £10000

Charge on property/local land charges

D8 Safe as Houses Grant

Who can apply

owner-occupiers
tenants with repairing obligations

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Must meet the Vulnerability Criteria:

over 65 or disabled
and in receipt of a means tested benefit, or just above the benefit threshold (savings considered)

Subject to means test

Amount available

£5000

Charge on property/local land charges

D9 Crime Prevention Grant

Who can apply

owner-occupiers
tenants of all tenures (landlords in respect of multiple units)

Eligibility criteria and conditions

Referrals via the Police Crime Prevention Officer, Community Safety Unit or other partner agency.
Applicants (or tenants of Landlord applicants) must:

be victims of a break-in
or live in an area with a high incidence of break-ins
or victims of domestic violence or hate crime (or be lining in fear of such crime)
meet vulnerability criteria

Home security works specified by the CPO or Community Safety Partnership.

Does not include subscription/renewal services for CCTV/Alarm systems.

Subject to means test

Amount available

£2000

Landlords = 75% of cost up to £1000 per dwelling.