Essential Repairs Grant

Essential Repairs Grant (replaces ‘essential repair grant’, ‘repair grant’ and ‘housing repairs assistance grant’)

Grants are discretionary and availability of grants is subject to council funds being available

What do Essential Repairs Grants cover?

The grant is to assist homeowners with essential repairs to their property (including leasehold properties, mobile homes and houseboats) which they can not afford to undertake themselves.  Applications will be considered for example where: 

• A breakdown of the primary source of heating or hot water (and no assistance is available through a national scheme, e.g. Warm Front)
• A category 1 hazard is identified under Housing Health & Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and the health and safety of the occupant and/or others is deemed to be at risk
• There is a significant risk to public safety, for example a structural element is so defective that significant further damage would occur if remedial action is not taken.
• The grant is not a mechanism for ongoing maintenance issues.

Eligibility Criteria 

• Properties must be owner occupied.
• Applicants must be on a means tested benefit i.e. Income Support, JSA, Guaranteed Pension Credit or Council Tax Benefit.
• Maximum grant £5000
• A charge will be placed on the property (plus interest) for any grant over £2000 to be repayable on the sale of the property and recorded as a local land charge.
• Vale applicants may qualify for and may be offered a Flexible Home Improvement Loan for certain works over £1000.  If the applicant refuses this loan they will not be eligible for an Essential Repairs Grant.(Works must be over £1000 to qualify for a loan)

• Person(s) must be in residence at the property for 3 years prior to the grant.
• Applicants must have been turned down for a Flexible Home Improvement Loan if over £1000
• There is a maximum of two grant applications in any 3 period.
• Any works for which a grant is applied for can not be claimed against household insurance.
• For houseboats and mobile homes applicants will need to demonstrate that the units are in a condition to be occupied for at least a further 5 years, and that they have rights to occupy them for at least this period.