Housing support and financial assistance

Everyone is entitled to live in a home, which is warm, has modern facilities and is in a good state of repair. There is a minimum standard that housing associations and registered social landlords have to meet.

The Decent Homes Standard on Gov.UK sets out the definition of what a decent home is. It includes guidance on how the decent homes standard should be implemented.

You could get a Disabled Facilities Grant from the council if you’re disabled and need to make changes to your home, for example to widen doors and install ramps or improve access to rooms and facilities. For further information see Disabled Facilities Grant on Gov.UK. The Foundations website explains more about the grant and how it works. Their video also gives a brief overview of the main facts of the grant.

How the grant is calculated

All Disabled Facilities Grants for adults are means tested. If you are in receipt of certain passported benefits (evidence of receipt will be required) you will not have to go through the full means test process, and you will not have a contribution to pay towards the cost of the adaptations.  The Foundations website explains more about the calculator for the means test. The means test does not apply to cases where the adaptations are for a child (under 16 years old) or a young person (over 16 but under 20 who is in full time education). The maximum Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant is £30,000.

Conditions of the grant

For owner occupiers only – if the grant exceeds £5,000 there will be conditions attached stating that if the property is disposed of whether by sale, assignment, transfer or otherwise within a 10 year period then all monies over £5,000 (five thousand) up to a maximum of £10,000 (ten thousand) will be repayable to North Lincolnshire Council.

In all cases – North Lincolnshire Council is not liable for any costs of removal of any equipment/adaptations provided or making good decoration when removed by others. Landlords especially should consider this before providing consent.

Where equipment is installed – the grant will generally provide a five year warranty. After this period has lapsed, the responsibility for servicing and costs for repairs are the responsibility of the homeowner/tenant. This is not applicable to all tenants. Some larger landlords have their own arrangements in place for servicing etc. You should follow this up with your landlord before applying for the grant. The grant does not cover repairs to existing facilities.

Apply for the grant

Adaptations for an adult – please contact the Independent Living Service on 01724 297000 option 4 and then option 2 where you can leave a message and a member of the team will return your call. An online enquiry can be made by completing the relevant form on the Staying Independent page. Please note, there is a form for the general public and a separate forms for professionals to use.

Adaptations for a child/young person, parents can e-mail details to nlg-tr.NLChildrensTherapyTeam@nhs.net  or call on 01724 203755.

If you require any further information or wish to discuss your individual circumstances, please contact us.

The handyperson scheme can carry out minor adaptations to your property such as:

• Improvements to access – adding small ramps, extra steps or external handrails.
• Internal works – fitting internal grab rails, an extra bannister rail or sofa/ bed raisers.

To request minor adaptations to your property

An online enquiry can be made by completing the relevant form on the Staying Independent page. Please note, there is a form for the general public and a separate forms for professionals to use.

We want to ensure that homes are safe, warm and weather-proof for those who are most vulnerable. We offer the Home Appreciation Loan, which has no monthly repayments, to help vulnerable homeowners to maintain their homes. The loan can be used to help with the cost of serious repairs which are affecting their health and/or safety. This loan can also be used to support Disabled Facilities Grants, where additional funding is required over the available grant maximum, or to pay for a means tested contribution. Applications for provision of adaptations to access essential facilities and to future proof dwellings will also be considered.

The main criteria for the loan includes :

• You are over 18 years of age (there is no upper age limit).
• You own the property, it is your main residence and you plan to continue to live there for the duration of the loan.
• You are either age 60 or over, in receipt of a means tested benefit or on a low income or are unable to access a commercial loan.
• You have sufficient equity available in the property to loan against.
• And you have home buildings insurance in place.

Loan amount

The minimum amount is £2,000 and the maximum loan amount is up to £30,000 although this is dependent on the equity available and what the loan is being used for. The council do charge a fee for the arranging of the loan and this can be included in the loan if needed.

Repayment

The Home Appreciation Loan is not a grant – it is a loan against the equity in your property. There are no monthly repayments to be made but monies do need to be paid back. Although no interest is charged on the loan, if the value of the property has increased at the point the loan needs to be repaid, then more will need to be paid back. The loan would need to be repaid when the resident owner/s are no longer owning and living in the property (eg, either because they move and sell the property, transfer the ownership to somebody else or when they die).

Loans for boiler repairs/replacements

The Home Cheque Loan is a council-backed loan operated in partnership with the Northern Lincolnshire Credit Union. This is an interest free loan which is specifically for heating repairs and replacements. It is only available to those who are referred to the Credit Union by the Council. Eligibility for the loan is at the discretion of the Credit Union and will be dependent on an individual’s circumstances.

North Lincolnshire Credit Union

The Credit Union also offer a standard loan which can be used for home improvements. This does have interest added and there will be monthly repayments to be made. More details can be found on the North Lincolnshire Credit Union website.

Dampness in the home can be a major problem. It can cause mould on walls and furniture and make timber window frames and floors rot. It can encourage the growth of house dust mites and increase the risk of respiratory illness.

For information on the causes of mould and how to treat it see the fixing damp and condensation page on the Energy Saving Trust website.

There are a number of reasons why properties become empty. They may be in the process of being sold, let, refurbished or inherited. However, empty homes tend to attract crime and anti-social behaviour. They are at a greater risk of arson attacks and vandalism. This can reduce the value of nearby properties and create a cause for concern for local residents.

If you are the owner of an empty property, we can offer free independent advice on ways of bringing it back into use. These areas include:

• letting the property – by using a managing agent or by becoming a private landlord and letting the property yourself
• selling the property – either through an estate agent, at auction or by advertising it yourself
• refurbishing the property for you or family members to live in, or to make the property suitable for letting

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is a risk-based evaluation tool to help us identify and consider the effect of any hazards in a property. There are 29 hazards that can be identified by the system – including excess cold, fire hazards and falls on the stairs. The system applies to all dwellings including:

• Owner occupied
• Privately rented
• Housing association

Councils have a duty to keep the housing conditions in privately owned property under review, together with a duty to inspect a property to determine if any health and safety hazards exist.

Please contact us for further information.