Introduction
Safe, Warm and Secure is a discretionary form of assistance (extra help) up to a maximum of £15,000 (subject to available funding). This is money to provide essential property repairs to bring property up to the decent homes standard removing category 1 hazards in line with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This falls in line with the Local Authority statutory duty in our Housing Assistance policy.
Criteria to access this grant
- Homeowners only
- Must be in receipt of means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, guaranteed pension credit, council tax reduction
- Removal of Category One hazards and reducing Category Two hazards under the criteria of the Housing Act 2004
- Thermal comfort
- Updating bathrooms over 30 years old that are in a state of disrepair
- Updating kitchens over 20 years old
- Reasonable repair given the age and locality of the property
Part of the application criteria, for the Safe Warm and Secure Assistance Grant is that we will need confirmation from Lendology (having assessed your finances) that you do not qualify for a Lendology Homeowner Improvement Loan.
Lendology are a Community Interest Company (CIC), please click on the link for more information.
All homeowners, regardless of what benefits are in place, need to complete their application before a grant can be considered. Should the Lendology loan route fail, you will receive written notification from them. At this point, you can contact us with the decline information that was sent to you. Depending on available funds, we are then able to consider your request.
The grant is available for permanent residents of Somerset only and is registered as a charge against the property which will be repayable upon sale or transfer of the property. The charge will be binding on successors in the title.
List of works that could be eligible for the grant (subject to an inspection carried out by one of our Home Safety Support Officers or Technical Officers).
- Window and door replacement or repairs
- Damp and mould
- Electrical and gas safety works
- Structural disrepair such as roof repairs or replacement
- Repairs or modifications to stairs, floors and steps – not carpeting or tiling.
- Water supply, drainage and heating issues
- Works to bring properties up to a decent home standard – i.e. kitchens and bathrooms over the stated age
There is a requirement for the Officer to carry out an initial site visit to check the works requested are eligible. The officer must visit again on completion of work, before payment is made to the contractor, to ensure that the works have been completed.
Referral form
To make a referral for adaptations, please complete our referral form:
Duty holders
The Building Regulations 2010 as amended in 2023 introduced the role of duty holders.
There are three new duty holders defined in the amended regulations. Please note that every application must name people assigned to the following roles, with the client being responsible for appointing the other duty holders:
- Client (including Domestic Clients) – previously known as the Applicant
- Principal Designer – previously known as the Agent. If you do not have a Principal Designer or agent, you will by default be the Principal Designer
- Principal Contractor – previously known as the Builder
The regulations state that all duty holders are obliged to have arrangements and systems in place to plan, manage and monitor both the design work and the building work to ensure compliance with building regulations. This includes residential homeowners who may be embarking on a project for the first time, and residential homeowners are referred to as Domestic Clients.
The duty to ensure compliance remains with those who procure the building work and those who have key roles in the design and construction process. They are responsible for ensuring that building work is designed and built to be compliant with building regulations. The duty holders are required to work together to ensure that the project complies with the requirements of the regulations, and ultimately ensures that the Building Control Body can issue its completion certificate.
For more detailed information please contact Somerset Building Control.