This policy explains how Cumberland Council helps residents to live well at home through providing support to make their homes safe, warm and accessible. It describes how we provide advice on home adaptations, repairs and improvements, and how we support people to access grants to pay for works to the home.
Our Home Adaptation and Assistance Services include:
- a Home Improvement Agency which provides advice and assistance on the services described in this policy and helps people to access the services they need
- small works/ handyperson services to improve home safety and accessibility without the need for a grant application
- Disabled Facilities Grants to help people who need to adapt their homes to meet their needs
- Hospital Discharge and Prevention Grants aim to help people to leave hospital more quickly, by making it possible for them to manage at home, or to receive care safely at home if needed. Grants may also help prevent someone from going into hospital
- Home Safety Grants can improve safety in the home and/or make a home more secure. This may be to improve safety for an adult or child with disabilities or additional needs, or to help a household who are at particular risk in their home
- Other services may be available from time to time, depending on funding
This policy sets out the services we provide and the eligibility criteria for each. We are required by law to provide Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants to eligible applicants, so applications for these will be taken at any time. Our other services are discretionary – this means that we do not legally have to offer them, and if there is insufficient funding, services may be withdrawn at the Council's discretion.
We may offer additional services to those included in this Policy from time to time, when there are funds available, including when the government offers additional funding for specific types of work, such as energy efficiency.
This Policy applies to homeowners (whether mortgaged or not) and people who rent their homes. Homes can include caravans, mobile homes and houseboats as well as houses, flats and bungalows.
DFG for registered providers and their tenants
Housing Association tenants should contact their landlord first, as all repairs and some improvements are the responsibility of the landlord. If you require larger adaptations, permission from the landlord will be needed.
Cumberland Council seeks to work constructively with Housing Associations to support tenants who need adapted housing. We seek to work together to:
- fund and deliver adaptations to existing homes
- support residents to find suitably adapted housing they can move to
- improve the availability of new homes suitable for people with disabilities in Cumberland
Housing Associations are required to provide effective services to disabled tenants and family members, by the Regulator of Social Housing.