If your home only requires minor repairs to improve it and you
have not been assessed as suitable for a home improvement loan
product, you may be eligible for a Home Repair Assistance
Grant.
The maximum grant is £2,500
and is secured as a local charge on the property. The grant can
also be used to contribute towards a disabled
facilities grant where the applicant is unable to pay
their contribution.
What work can the grant be used for?
The following is an example of the type of work that can be
undertaken:
- Remedying minor disrepair
- Remedying severe damp problems
- Replacing unsafe or dangerous electrical wiring or gas
fittings
- Replacing broken windows, doors or rotten floorboards
- Improving heating and insulation where an applicant is not
eligible for the government funded Warm
Front Grant
Who can apply for the loan or grant?
To apply you must be:
- 18 years or over, have an owners interest in
the property and be living or have a family member resident in
the property
- There must be a member of the household who is at least 60
years old, in full-time education or
disabled
- The property must be at least 10 years old, fail the decent
home standard or require safety or security measures
In addition, a member of the household must be claiming at least
one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Benefit
- Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
- Guarantee Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- War Disablement Pension
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Do I have to pay back the grant?
If you sell or transfer ownership of the property within 10
years of receiving the grant, you will have to pay back some of the
grant. The amount payable is shown below:
- Sold within 1 year of the grant completion date: 100% of
the grant is repaid
- Sold within 1-4 years of the grant completion date: 75% of the
grant is repaid
- Sold within 5-9 years of the grant completion date: 50% of the
grant is repaid
If the property is sold 10 or more years after the grant
completion date, none of the grant is repayable.
How to apply
To apply or for more information, please
contact the Private Sector Housing Team.
Tel: 01695 585247
Email: peter.rimmer@westlancs.gov.uk
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