The Council’s Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy was last presented to Cabinet at its meeting on 5 September 2017.  This report seeks approval to changes which are now proposed to the policy related to Disabled Facilities Grants, discretionary assistance and energy efficiency measures.

The Chief Executive will be asked to consider the recommendations as detailed within the report.  If the Chief Executive approves the recommendations, he will use his delegated authority to approve the changes to the Housing Assistance Policy.

To approve changes to the Housing Assistance Policy.

Changes are required to the Housing Assistance Policy in particular:

·        Increase in the threshold for non-means tested Disabled Facilities Grants from £5,000 to £6,000.

·        Applications for discretionary non-means tested Disabled Facilities are limited to one grant in any three year period.

·        Clarification is given to applications for assistance made on behalf of a disabled person under the age of 18 years old being non-means tested.

·        Prioritisation of interventions to facilitate hospital discharge based on advice from Occupational Therapists.

·        Provision of discretionary assistance to fund the cost of aids and adaptations to help people with dementia continue to live in their own homes.

·        Provision of further discretion for top up funding where the required works for a Disabled Facilities Grant are over £30,000.

·        Provision (pending approval from Management Team) of a discretionary fund to be available to support energy efficiency measures.

·        Energy Repayment loans have been removed.