Home Repair Assistance
Home Repair Assistance is a discretionary form of assistance specifically designed to provide practical help through a grant for small-scale works.
The Council will consider applications for Home Repair Assistance for a range of works including:
- to remedy essential repairs or conditions that interfere materially with the personal comfort of an elderly, infirm or disabled occupant.
- remedial action to remove Category 1 hazard(s) where cost of works is less than £2,750 and property is occupied by person(s) falling within the defined vulnerable group for that hazard.
- urgent adaptations for the care of the disabled, elderly or infirm in certain circumstances.
- improvements to home security for the disabled, elderly or infirm.
- essential and significant repairs to the basic fabric or services of residential mobile homes.
This grant provides cash limited assistance up to £5000 within any three-year period, for minor works.
Home Repair Assistance is available to owner /occupiers and private tenants who meet the following criteria:
- be aged 18 or over on the date of application
- live in the dwelling as their only or main residence
- have an owners interest in the dwelling or be a tenant of the dwelling, alone or jointly with others; or occupy the dwelling under a right of exclusive occupation granted for life or for a period of more than five years
- have a duty or power to carry out the works in question
- be in receipt of an income-related benefit i.e income support, or pension guarantee credit, or working tax credit, or council tax benefit, or income based jobseekers allowance, or housing benefit, or disability living allowance, or attendance allowance, or war disablement benefit, or industrial injuries disablement benefit, or child tax credit (with relevant income of less than £15,050).
Full guidance leaflet on Home Repair Assistance (94.7KB) 
Enquiries for very small items of work from older or disabled people may be considered for referral to the Handy Person Scheme, Papworth Trust Home Solutions, 01279755905.
For further information on this service please contact Handy Person Scheme, Papworth Trust Home Solutions, 01279755905.
If you wish for further information or wish to apply for assistance, please contact the private sector housing team. They will arrange for an officer to visit your property to assess what works are eligible for assistance.
Contact Details
Details of how to contact the team can be found on the Housing & Public Protection contact page.
If your property is in a serious state of disrepair, lacking amenities or structurally unstable, you may also need to apply for a Renovation Grant/Loan
If you or someone living in your property is disabled, Disabled Facilities Grant/loans are available for a range of works needed to help a disabled person to remain living more independently in their home.
