Building Standards

Housing Grants

An Applicant's Guide

Keeping a house or flat in good condition is mainly the responsibility of the owner. It is in their interest to make sure that necessary repairs and improvements are carried out, to keep the home in good condition and maintain its value.

South Ayrshire Council and the government also have an interest in making sure that private homes are in good condition. Your Council is committed to making sure that everyone has decent, affordable housing. Poor housing can affect people's health, it may be a danger to the public and has a negative effect on the local environment. The Council recognises that some people cannot afford to pay for the work needed to keep their home in good condition, so a wide range of grants are now available to help you.

Grants for improvement and repair of houses and flats are given by the Council, under a framework set by law. This tells you what works are eligible for grants, who can apply for a grant, how to apply for a grant and how much grant you could get.

In this information, 'house' includes houses and flats.

What works are eligible for grant?

The law sets out the tolerable standard, which a home must meet to be fit for people to live in.

A house meets the tolerable standard if:

It is structurally stable and it is free from rising or penetrating damp.
It has satisfactory access to all external doors and outbuildings.

It has satisfactory

lighting
heating
ventilation
drinking water supply
cooking facilities
drainage, for rainwater and from kitchen and bathroom fittings.

A house must also have all the standard amenities, which are:

A fixed bath or shower
A wash-hand basin
A sink
All with hot and cold water supply, and a toilet.

The Council can consider grants for any work to bring a house up to the tolerable standard, install standard amenities and put the property into a good st ate of repair. Grant assistance is not available for routine repair and maintenance work, such as repainting window frames or replacing worn fixtures.

There are now three main types of grants being offered by the Council:

Improvement Grant for a Disabled Person
General Improvement Grant
Repairs Grant

Grants are subject to the availability of finance and funds and are currently available for:

Improvement Grant for a Disabled Person, including:

Fit, replace or alter a bath/shower
Install a ramp and handrails
Extension to form a bathroom
Widen doorways
Refit kitchen
Install a stairlift

Note: Please contact the Council's Occupational Therapist or Building Standards Staff prior to making an application
General Improvement Grant, including:

Works to upgrade a house to achieve a minimum standard
Statutory work including improving means of fire escape in Houses in Multiple Occupation
Eradication of serious dampness
Structural stabilisation
Improving private water supplies

It may also be possible to offer a grant for repairs including renewal of roof coverings, chimneys, gutters and downpipes and other improvement works relating to energy efficiency or safety in conjunction with the above general improvement grant work.

Additionally, grant aid for the installation of mains powered smoke detectors may be available for the elderly (over 60) or disabled living in privately owned houses in South Ayrshire. Occupants of privately owned flats and maisonettes may also be eligible.

Repairs Grant, including:

Replacement of lead plumbing

Grant can be approved for works to alter or replace lead plumbing, to combat the health risks associated with the presence of high levels of lead in drinking water.

Other Works Eligible for a Grant

When the proposed works:

Involve South Ayrshire Care and Repair or
Form part of a Council modernisation programme or
Will make the building safe as part of the Public Safety Survey of Town Centres (Ayr, Troon, Prestwick, Maybole and Girvan) or
Involve an empty property identified by the Council and operated by a landlord participating in the Council's Voluntary Accreditation Scheme

Then

Grant aid may also be available for the following general improvements and major repairs:

Structural repairs
Renewal of roof covering
Roof repairs, including chimneys and flashings
Overcladding of external walls
Renewal of guttering, down pipes
Renewal/replacement of windows
Essential renewal of external roughcast/rendering
Provision of adequate insulation - cavity wall insulation, floor and roof insulation, tank jackets, pipe insulation
Provision of adequate heating systems.
Installation of door entry system to common entrances
Installation of fire doors in common stairs

Does the Council have to give me a grant?

Your Council must give you a grant for the following types of work:

Installing any standard amenities, where the house does not already have them.
Installing any additional standard amenities which are needed because a disabled occupant cannot use the existing ones.
Any work which the Council requires you to do by issuing a statutory notice or order on the property.

Who can apply for a grant?

The owner of a house should usually be the person who applies for a grant for improvements or repairs. Agricultural and crofting tenants are treated as owners in relation to grants. A tenant can apply for a grant in some cases, depending on the type of works and the terms of their lease. Contact the Council's Building Standards Staff for more details.

Life renters can also apply for grants if they are responsible for the planned works. A disabled person can apply for a grant for works to adapt their home to meet their needs, even if they are not the owner or tenant.

If anyone else wishes to apply for a grant, please contact the Council's Building Standards Staff for more information.

What other rules are there?

The house must have been built, or converted to a house, more than 10 years before the date you apply for a grant.
You can still get a grant for work on a house less than 10 years old to put in standard amenities, or make the house suitable for a disabled person.
The Council must be satisfied that, after the works have been done, the house will meet the tolerable standard and be in a good state of rep air. This may mean that you have to fix other problems, as well as the work you originally planned.
You must not st art the work before your application for a grant has been officially approved in writing. You cannot apply for a grant to pay for works you have already done.If you are not the owner of the house, the owner must agree to you applying for a grant.

Grant is not available:

where the grant is calculated at less than £100.
for works of routine maintenance.
to carry out woodworm eradication.

After the grant is paid, three conditions apply to the house for five years:

It must be used as a private dwelling house (although part may be used for business purposes).
If the owner or a member of their family occupies the house, it must be their main home.
The house must be kept in good repair, as far as possible. The owner must agree to be bound by these conditions, which will be recorded on the title of the house. There is a charge for doing this, which the Councilwill take out of the grant awarded to you. If any of the conditions are not met the Council can require that you repay all of the grant, with interest. If you repay the grant, plus interest, to the Council at any time within the five-year period, the conditions will cease to apply. If you sell your house within the five-year period, you do not have to repay the grant, but the conditions will apply to the new owner until the end of the five-year period.

How much grant could I get?

The Council will work out how much grant you should get for the work you want to do. The amount of grant you can get is based on the cost of the work and how much the law says you should pay yourself.

Cost of Work

First, the Council needs to know how much the eligible work will cost. When you apply for a grant, you will need to provide detailed descriptions of the work to be done and estimates of the cost. The costs of professional fees for drawing up plans and specifications, and VAT, are eligible for grant assistance.

The Council will require two estimates, to prove the price is competitive. The Council will check that all the work is eligible for grant, and whether any of it is eligible for minimum percentage grant (see minimum percentage grants).

The Council can give grants for work that costs up to £20,000 in total and they can apply to the Scottish Government to go beyond this limit if there are good reasons for the extra cost. It may also be possible to raise the amount after work has started, for example if other problems are found once the work is under way. If any grant s have been paid for work on the same house in the past 10 years, the amount of grant you can get for a new application may be reduced.

Applicant's Contribution

To make sure that grants are given to the people who are least able to afford work on their house themselves, an assessment is made to calculate how much should be contributed by all the people who should help maintain the house.

There are two types of assessment:

If you live in the house, or if you own the house and a member of your family lives there, you are described as an occupier. The occupier's assessment is described in sections Minimum Percentage Grants & Occupier's Assessment
If you own the house and let it to tenants, or if you intend to improve it and sell it on, you are a non-occupier. The assessment for non-occupiers is described in the section Non-Occupier's Assessment. The assessments are set down in law, so that all Councils calculate the amount of grant in the same way.

Minimum Percentage Grants

For some works, you will receive a minimum percentage grant of 50%, even if you would normally be expected to contribute more than 50% of the cost of works. If you are entitled to more than 50% grant, you will get the higher amount. This rule is intended to encourage people to carry out essential work and work to common parts of a building. The works to which minimum percentage grant applies are:

Any of the works to bringing a house up to the tolerable standard.
Making a house suitable for the accommodation, welfare or employment
of a disabled person who lives, or plans to live there.
Any works to the common parts of a building in common ownership.
Replacing lead plumbing.

Occupier's Assessment

This assessment applies if you or a member of your family live in the house, or intend to live there when the work is completed. The amount of grant you may receive depends on how much applicable income you and your partner (if you have one) have received over the past year. 'Partner' means a person you are married to, or someone you live with as if you were married, including same sex couples.

If you are a joint owner or joint tenant of the house, the Council needs to know about the income of all other joint owners, or joint tenants, and theirpartners as well.

If you or your partner receive Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers' Allowance, or the Guarantee element of Pension Credit, you are assessed as having no applicable income.

Otherwise, to calculate your applicable income, the Council adds together all the income you have received over the past year from:

Earnings, after tax and NI contributions.
Occupational and personal pensions (not state retirement pension).
Interest and other payments from savings and investments.
Rent
Maintenance payments.

Any benefits or tax credits you get are not counted, except Housing Benefit.
Next, the Council subtracts the following amounts:

Your mortgage or rent payments for the year . This is set against any Housing Benefit you get, to work out the amount you actually pay yourself.
Half of what you have paid in pension contributions.
Standard allowances of:
- £47 per week for each child you have under 16, or between 16 and 21 in full-time education.
- £42 per week for any child who is disabled or registered blind.
- £35 per week if you are disabled or registered blind, and single.
- £50 per week if you have a p artner , and you or your partner (or both) are disabled or registered blind.

The Council will also need to know if you have received or may receive any compensation or insurance payments which might cover the costs of the proposed work, either in relation to damage to the building or disability. The total applicable income for the application (including all joint owners) is compared to a table which shows how much you have to contribute, as a percentage of the cost of works, and what percentage you can get in grant. The ready reckoner will give you a general idea of what percentage you might get.

Non-Occupiers Assessment

This assessment applies if:

Neither you nor any member of your family lives in the house; or
The grant is for commercial premises in a building which also includes houses.

The amount of grant depends mainly on the amount by which the works will increase the value of the house, compared to the cost of the works. The Council will need to get two valuations of the house:

In its present condition at the date of application; and
An estimate of the value it would have, on the same date, if all the proposed works had already been done.

The Council may ask you to provide these valuations, or they may obtain them themselves. The increase in value is then compared to the cost of works. If the cost of works is less than the increase in value, you will not get any grant unless a minimum percentage grant applies.If the cost of works is more than the increase in value, you may get at least 20% of the excess expense.

Example
Current value £68,000
Estimated value on completion £72,000
Increase in value £4,000

Cost of works £3,000
Cost of works is less than increase in value - No Grant

Cost of works £9,000
Excess expense (Difference between cost of works and increase in value) £5,000
Grant-20% of £5,000 = £ 1,000

The amount of grant is increased by another 20% of the excess expense for each of the following criteria that apply.

The works:

Provide additional housing by the conversion or subdivision of property.
Bring back into use housing which has been empty for at least two years.
Bring the property up to at least the tolerable standard.
Are part of a refurbishment scheme for similar works to three or more houses.
Are common works to a building which includes more than one house (or a house and other premises).
Are carried out by a not-for-profit housing provider make the house significantly more accessible for disabled people.

How do I apply for a grant?

Contact South Ayrshire Council's Building Standards staff to get an application form and find out more about local policies on grants. Council staff will tell you what additional information you need to provide with your application, in terms of specifications, estimates and proof of your income. Contact can also be made with South Ayrshire Care and Repair for advice and assistance if you are over 60 or have a disability.

The Council will consider your application and staff will visit to inspect the house and check the works are eligible for grant. There is no time limit to approve or refuse your application and you will be given a decision in writing. If the Council refuse your application you will be told why. You can ask the Council to review their assessment of the applicant's contribution if you think a mistake has been made in calculating how much grant you are entitled to.

You will be told of the result of the review in writing. You must not start the work on the house before the Council has approved your grant application in writing.

You may also need planning permission or building warrants from the Council for the work. These are separate from grant approval and your application will not be determined before these permissions are granted. You do not have to st art work as soon as you have been given approval, although you should start as soon as you can and complete the work within 12 months from the date of approval. The Council may consider extending this period.

The Council can pay the grant in instalments as the work proceeds, (not more than two instalments and not more than 50% of the approved grant) or in one lump sum at the end. Grant payments will be made on the basis of the work being completed, to the Council's satisfaction and the submitted invoice from the contractor. The Council may pay the grant direct to you, or you may instruct them to pay it directly to the contractor using the Council's mandate form. It is up to you to check that the work has been carried out to a satisfactory standard, before you pay, or agree for the Council to pay, the contractor.

What other financial help is available? - Help for Older People and Disabled People

South Ayrshire Care and Repair runs projects in many areas to help people over 60, or younger people with disabilities, to deal with repairs to their homes. Care and Repair can help organise the work, help you apply for grants, and may be able to organise small repairs for you. Your local Care and Repair project may be contacted on 01292 281813.

Heating and Insulation

There is a wide range of advice, grants and loans available to help make your house warmer and more energy efficient. Grants may be available from the Council the government or from your electricity or gas company. Contact South Ayrshire Energy Agency / Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 01292 280109 or by using the Freephone number 0800 512012, or visit the website at www.saveenergy.co.uk

Historic Buildings

A repair grant may be available from Historic Scotland for the repair of buildings which are considered to be of outstanding historic or architectural interest, or are located in an outstanding conservation area.

Further information is available from Historic Scotland (Heritage Grants Branch), Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH: telephone 0131 668 8801: fax 0131 6688788; e-mail hs.grants@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. If the building is listed, you should contact South Ayrshire Council's Planning Development Control Service to check whether listed building consent is required before work can be carried out.

How much grant could I get? - Occupiers' ready reckoner

This ready reckoner will give you a rough estimate of how much grant you could get, in terms of a percentage of the cost of works. It does not ask for information on every type of income which is included in the assessment, so it cannot tell you exactly how much you will get.

You can get a more detailed estimate by using the grant calculator on the Scottish Government website. However, an exact figure can only be provided once you submit a formal application for a grant. Write down the total amounts received or paid over the past year. Remember to include figures for your partner, if any, and any joint owners, or joint tenants, and their partners.

Earnings, after tax and NI contributions
Occupational and private pensions
Any other significant income (an amount less than £1000 is unlikely to make a difference to this estimate)
Total income: A+B+C
Mortgage or rent payments
Allowances:
- £2444 for each child who was under 16 or under 21 and in full-time education for the whole year
- £2184 for each child who was registered blind or receiving DLA for the whole year
- £1820 if you are registered blind or disabled and single
- £2600 if you have a partner and you and/ or they are registered blind or disabled
Total deductions: E+F
Total applicable income: D-G

Total applicable income	Grant (percentage of cost)
£ 0	100%
£ 0 to £2340	Between 100% and 90%
£ 2341 to £4670	Between 90% and 80%
£ 4671 to £7000	Between 80% and 70%
£ 7001 to £10,000	Between 70% and 60%
£ 10,001 to £13,000	Between 60% and 50%
Check whether minimum percentage grant applies! See Minimum Percentage Grants
£ 13,001 to £16,000	Between 50% and 40%
£ 16,001 to £19,000	Between 40% and 30%
£ 19,001 to £24,000	Between 30% and 20%
£ 24,001 to £32,000	Between 20% and 10%
Over £32,000	no grant

Downloads

Housings Grants - Leaflet

Please contact us if you require further details.