The Safe and Warm Grant is a discretionary grant which in certain circumstances can be given to you to pay for small, but essential, works to improve the energy efficiency or safety in your home. The grant is available for works to dwelling houses, flats and mobile homes.
Are you eligible for a grant?
You will be eligible for the grant if you receive one of the following income related benefits:
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Support
- Guaranteed Pension Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- War Disablement Pension
- Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
Alternatively, you will be eligible if you (or your partner) are aged over 60 and your income level is below the income tax threshold.
You must have occupied the dwelling for at least one year before a grant can be approved.
The Safe and Warm Grant is not available to Waverley Council tenants.
Grant Terms and Conditions
Although assistance is normally in the form of a grant of money to pay the cost of a builder or contractor doing certain works in your home, it can also be available to pay for the cost of materials used if you do the works yourself (or if the works are done by a relative or friend who does not charge for his or her labour).
The maximum amount of assistance you can get is £10,000 for each application you make. This sum must include fees and VAT. Once you have received a Safe and Warm Grant, it will only be possible to obtain a further grant for works to the same property within three years if the first grant was less than £10,000 and the total amount of grant payments does not exceed £10,000 within any three-year period.
It is a condition of the grant that you do not sell the property within 10 years following completion of works. If this condition is not met, you will be liable to repay the entire grant.
What can you get a grant for?
The Safe and Warm Grant is available for the following works:
- Replacement of old or defective boilers with Part L compliant boilers
- Installation of new central heating system and/or heating controls
- Loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and draught-proofing
- Insulation to park homes
- Replacement of defective windows
- Fire precautions
- Repairs to electrical installations
- Asbestos removal where a health risk
- Home security measures e.g. door and window locks, door chains and viewers
- Removal of hoarding
- Remediation of damp and mould and effects of flooding
If you also qualify for another scheme for the same works (e.g. the Energy Company Obligation for energy efficiency measures), we will refer you to the appropriate body.
Where a grant is not available
Please note that the Safe and Warm Grant is always discretionary and it is Waverley's decision whether to give you help in this way.
For administrative reasons we will not provide a grant if the works are likely to cost less than £100.
Also, if extensive or major works are required to your home, for example, your house is in serious disrepair, does not have a bathroom, has severe dampness etc, it will not be appropriate for you to apply for a Safe and Warm Grant. Instead, we may be able to advise you on how to obtain other forms of assistance eg by financing a loan.
For more details please contact the Private Sector Housing Team.
How to apply for a grant
At the first stage, you should contact the Private Sector Housing Team to discuss the works you need to have carried out and whether a grant is available. It may be necessary for an Officer to visit your home to check that the works are eligible for assistance and give advice about the works that you may need to do.
If you are a tenant you will need a letter from your landlord giving permission for the works to be carried out. Grants are not awarded to tenants for works which are the landlord's responsibility under housing legislation or tenancy conditions.
If you want to employ a builder to do the works, you will normally need to obtain a minimum of two itemised estimates from different builders of the cost of doing the works. As there is a limit to the amount of assistance that can be given, it is in your own interest to ensure that the estimates are reasonable to enable the maximum works to be carried out within the funds available.
Should you wish to do the works yourself, you should provide details of the cost of the materials likely to be used.
Making a grant application
A grant application is only considered complete when we have received all the required documents, eg at least two itemised estimates, completed application form and proof of income.
Please contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01483 523372 or privatesectorhousing@waverley.gov.uk for an application form.
You must not start any works until you receive formal approval of your application for assistance. No grant will be paid for any works carried out before the grant has been approved. However, you must ensure that the works are completed within 12 months of the Notice of Grant Approval otherwise the grant may be cancelled.
If you think you will have difficulty in completing the form, designing the works or obtaining estimates it may be that the Guildford and Waverley Care & Repair Team could help you.
On completion of works
Payment of the grant can only be made when the works have been completed to our satisfaction. If you have employed a builder to do the works, you must provide us with the builder's bill, or receipt if you have already paid the bill. If you have carried out the works yourself, then the receipts or invoices for the materials used must be provided. In addition, if you have employed a professional agent for any services provided in connection with your application for assistance, you must provide their bill or receipt.
Payment will normally be made direct to the contractor.