Do You Need Some Help to Stay in Your Home?

All of us feel more comfortable living in our own homes, the decision to give up independent living is a very hard one to think about and is often the last thing we really want to do.

 

Sometimes spending a relatively small amount of money can put in place adaptations which make it entirely possible to stay in our homes for far longer.

 

Relatively small amounts of money can often be heard to find but it is possible to apply for grants from East Hampshire District Council. These are called Disability Facilities Grants and can fund all sorts of adaptations such as stairlifts, changes to bathrooms, widening doors to take a wheelchair.

 

As you would expect the grants are means tested but the maximum that can be given is £30,000 which covers quite a lot.  The adaptations must be necessary and appropriate and reasonable.

 

Your disability need could be due to loss of sight ,hearing, physical illness speech or even a mental health issue.

 

If you are in receipt of guaranteed pension credit you are likely to get the full grant.

 

An alternative to this is a home improvement loan of between £2,000 and £25,000. There are no monthly repayments for this loan it is repayable when the property ownership is transferred, so on sale. The household income limits are quite low but you can have up to £90,000 in savings apart from the value of the house.

 

To see if you qualify for either of these schemes you can contact East Hants District Council on line or by phone to 01730 266551. The web site

Housing grants and financial assistance | East Hampshire District Council (easthants.gov.uk)

This will tell you more.

 

Are You Cold?

 

0800 804 8601 is a phone help and advice line open to all Hampshire residents.

 

• It helps you to switch to a better tariff if that will help.

• It refers where appropriate to debt advisors and benefits advice

• It can help you check whether you are eligible for the Warm Home Discount and local energy efficiency scheme

• It can support and help you if you are without heating

• It can help you to access funding where it is available for boiler repairs and replacements.

 

This is the email link :-

 

Hitting the cold spots | Health and social care | Hampshire County Council (hants.gov.uk)

 

Just remember there is help for insulation for people in receipt of pension age not only to purchase the insulation but also to fit it and to help make your home a warmer place.

 

Every senior should have received an automatic payment from the government of between £100 and £600 to help with fuel accounts over the winter, it comes under the same reference as your pension quite how the government decides who gets what is beyond me but you should have seen it in November/December on your bank statement.

 

British Gas Energy Trust was set up with initial funding of ten million pounds to provide help for pensions to meet their gas bills. These are grants not loans or deferred payments so why not see if they can apply to you?

 

Warm Homes Discount Scheme was set up to help people with their electricity bill so why not see if that applies to you?

Susan Garnett, January 2024