Decent Homes Plus Assistance

Low-cost repayable assistance to help you bring your home up to the Decent Homes Standard

Am I eligible to apply?

You may qualify if:

you are in receipt of a qualifying income related benefit (Income Support, Pension Credit Guarantee, Council Tax Benefit, Working Tax Credit with an income of no more than £15,050, or Child Tax Credit with an income of no more than £15,050)

you live in property that was built before 1940, and is council tax band A or B, and have lived there for 3 or more years.

You must also have at least 20% unsecured equity in your property, taking into account the amount of assistance you borrow from us. For example, if your property is worth £150,000, any mortgages or loans you have secured against your property, including the assistance we give you, must not exceed £120,000.

How much is it?

For people in receipt of income-related benefits: between £5,000 and £30,000 for eligible works. In addition, we will allow eligible VAT and fees to be included in the application.

For people living in a property built before 1940 in band A or B for council tax purposes: we will pay 50% of the cost of the eligible works, up to a maximum of £15,000. In addition, we will allow 50% of eligible VAT and fees to be included in the application.

What work will it pay for?

The works must be to bring the property up to the Decent Homes Standard. This can include roof repairs, windows, electrics, central heating, damp proofing, and many more. We can assess your property and tell you what repairs will qualify for assistance. Visit the Decent Homes page for more information about the standard.

When do I have to repay it?

If you sell your home, transfer it to someone else, or it is no longer your main residence, you will be expected to repay the assistance. You can also choose to repay it in full before any of these events. You can't make regular payments to redeem this assistance.

How much will I have to repay?

The assistance is provided to you as a mortgage on your property, and is secured as a registered charge at the Land Registry.

The amount you will have to repay is based on the lower of two calculations, and is calculated at the time of repayment:

OPTION 1 - This is a shared appreciation mortgage. You do not make any repayments during the life of this mortgage. This mortgage involves the Council taking a percentage share in the value of your property.

For example, if your property is worth £100,000 and we give you assistance of £10,000, we will have a 10% share in the value of your property. When you come to repay the assistance, you will need to get a new valuation. If, 6 years later your property is valued at £150,000, you would repay £15,000 - 10% of the property value at the redemption of the mortgage.

If the Property falls in value, the repayment will still be based on a percentage share - so you may be required to pay back less than you borrowed.

OPTION 2 - This is a rolled-up interest mortgage. You do not make any repayments during the life of this mortgage. This mortgage involves the Council calculating daily the amount of interest that is added to the loan figure, based on the Bank of England Base Rate.

For example, if you borrow £10,000, and during the life of the mortgage the Bank of England base rate stayed the same at 5.50%, the repayment 6 years later would be £13,788.42. This would give an overall cost comparison of 5.50% APR.

In this example, if the interest rate changed in years 4 - 6 to 6.00%, the repayment would be £13,985.39. this would give an overall cost comparison of 5.75% APR.

How do I apply?

Please complete our Owner Occupiers' Enquiry for Financial Assistance form.