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Housing renewal assistance policy 2026 - 2030: 1. Introduction 8. General conditions

8.1 General conditions applicable to all forms of assistance

Approval is dependent on the council having adequate funds available within the appropriate budget at the time of the application for assistance.

Applicants must:

  • be aged 18 years or over at the date of application,
  • not be a body mentioned in section 3(2) of the 1996 Housing Grants Construction Act 1996 for example not a Police Authority,
  • own the relevant property unless the individual assistance indicates a wider tenure eligibility,
  • supply household income for the relevant person (e.g the adult requiring an adaptation, and their partner) and expenditure details where appropriate, for example test of resources / means test. Note applications on behalf of a young person 17 and under will be exempt from means testing,
  • pursue any claims against work covered under insurance policies before an application is made,
  • not have savings in excess of £50,000,
  • live in the property as his or her main residence, except where the applicant is a landlord or it is an empty home AND the applicant has the owner’s interest in the property OR be a tenant of the property, alone or jointly with others AND have a responsibility to carry out the works in question or have the owner’s consent to do so. Where the applicant is an owner occupier, there will normally be a minimum time period for prior occupation dependent on the type of assistance,
  • where appropriate give a signed undertaking to repay the financial assistance if the conditions of the grant or loan are breached,
  • consent to allow the council to confirm the applicant’s interest in the property.

Applications must:

  • be for properties that were built or created by conversion at least 10 years ago, unless the council agrees otherwise. This does not apply to any assistance being given to adapt a property to meet disabled persons’ needs,
  • be made on the appropriate council application forms which we will provide free of charge upon request. These forms should be submitted, along with any additional information as described in Appendix 1, as a complete application to the Council. If all the information required is not provided the application will not be treated as complete and will not be considered for approval. Time periods for service delivery will not start until a complete application is received,
  • have relevant planning and / or building regulations approval and other necessary consents,
  • include written consent from all the owners of the property to the eligible works being done,
  • not be for works that have already been completed. If works have started the council may at its discretion consider assistance for the remaining works if it is satisfied that there were good reasons for starting the works before assistance was approved,
  • must not be for repairs required as a result of deliberate damage / neglect caused by or allowed to occur by the household,
  • include the relevant number of detailed tenders or quotations for the agreed scheme of works, except where specific framework contractors are used or schedule of rates are in place. It is always necessary to show value for money and
    • where the cost is below £5,000, at least two itemised quotations will be normally necessary.
    • where the cost of the work is £5,000 or more, at least three quotations will normally be necessary from different contractors showing a breakdown of the cost of carrying out the eligible works.
    • a single quotation may be accepted where the work is for specialist works or in exceptional circumstances as agreed by the council.

The council has developed a detailed Schedule of Rates (SoR) for building works and adaptations including but not limited to equipment such as stair lifts and hoists. In these situations whilst applicants are encouraged to secure more than one quotation it may be possible for a single one to be allowed and compared directly with the council’s schedule of rates.

The council will use its current Schedule of Rates (SoR) to assess the quotations against and will determine what the reasonable costs involved in the proposals are. In all situations the council will only make grant awards for works that are a reasonable cost, and if they appear ‘over- priced’ then the applicant will need to fund the remaining element. . It will always ensure that a grant award is reasonable and appropriate. The SoR is reviewed regularly and updated to ensure that it is at an appropriate level.

8.2 Additional conditions

  1. Mobile Homes

Where an application is for a mobile home, the mobile home must be on a currently licensed site which is for permanent residential use. Financial assistance will not be provided where the works required are to meet the requirements of a caravan site licence under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.

  1. Shared Ownership dwellings

Where an application is for a shared ownership property the applicant must have a legal obligation to repair the property. This does not apply to any assistance being given to adapt a property to meet the needs of a person with disabilities.

  1. Landlord Applications

Where appropriate it will be a condition of assistance to landlords that the property will be made available for letting for a period of 5 years. The council reserves the right to nominate tenants and the landlord will undertake to offer available accommodation to any person nominated by the council. Assistance will be prioritised to ensure that the accommodation type and rent levels meet ‘housing need’ in the borough as assessed by the Council.

  1. Adaptation / DFG Relocation grants

Where an owner occupier applicant for a statutory DFG identifies that they wish to move to an alternative property, a discretionary relocation grant may be considered. The cost of the relocation grant must be less than the expected cost of adapting the applicant’s original home. The following is a list of potential costs that can be included within a discretionary relocation grant application;

  • reasonable fees incurred for property purchase and sale
  • reasonable removal costs
  • adaptation costs as assessed by the Council as being for the minimum works that are necessary, appropriate, reasonable and practicable.

The property that the resident is moving from and to must be within the Borough of Walsall (or a neighbouring borough at the express consent of the Council). Where a relocation grant exceeds £5,000 a land / property charge will be placed on the new property in line with the statutory DFG process. The decision on all discretionary relocation grants rests with the Council Housing Standards and Improvement Service and is subject to available funding.