Safe and secure assistance is targeted at elderly or vulnerable households in order to provide assistance with smaller, urgent works.
It is limited to works costing no more than £5,000. Applications are limited to a maximum of two, amounting to a maximum of £7,000 in any three year period.
Types of work provided under safe and secure assistance
Assistance is aimed at reducing the risk of harm from potential hazards in the home caused by housing defects, poor design or internal arrangement.
Hazards may include:
- Risk from fire.
- Risk from falls due to bad internal arrangement.
- Electrical hazards.
- Hazards associated with damp and mould growth.
Certain types of housing defect can create serious health and safety hazards to the occupants.
Examples of eligible works include:
- Electrical rewiring.
- Repairs to the roof.
- Replacement floors.
- Plumbing or drainage problems.
Who can apply
Safe and secure assistance depends on the circumstances surrounding the application for assistance and sufficient funding being available. Assistance is targeted at people who are in most housing need.
This assistance is available to owner-occupiers and private tenants.
Applicants must have occupied their home as their only or main residence for at least three years before applying.
Exceptions are where the works relate to means of escape in case of fire, or other fire safety precautions.
Applicants must be either:
- Elderly - aged 60 or over; or
- Vulnerable - such as disabled, lone parent families with children under the age of 16 years, or 19 years if in full time education, and low-income families.
Applicants must be in receipt of certain specified means-tested benefits or their equivalents. Such as:
- Income Support.
- Universal Credit.
- Income-based Job Seekers Allowance or Employment Support Allowance.
- Working Tax Credit.
- Guaranteed Pension Credit.
- Disabled Person’s Tax Credit.
- Housing Benefit.
- Council Tax Support.
- Child Tax Credit.