Issue - meetings

Appendix 2 to this report will follow in a supplementary pack.

The Private Sector Housing Manager presented a report regarding the Housing Assistance Policy 2026.

The Committee was advised that the purpose of the policy was to support disabled and vulnerable individuals to remain living independently in their own homes. Assistance typically included adaptations such as stairlifts, level-access showers and extensions to facilitate ground-floor living arrangements.

Members noted that, whilst the majority of the elements of mandatory grants were prescribed by legislation, the Council was required to maintain a local policy to set out its approach to a number of discretionary elements for the application of discretionary funding. This included the provision of top-up funding where the cost of necessary adaptations exceeded the grant funding available.

The revised policy had been developed collaboratively by officers from all Worcestershire local authorities. The shared approach was intended to improve the customer experience, ensure consistency across the county and support preparations for Local Government Reorganisation.

The Committee was informed that the principal amendments to the 2024 policy had been made to achieve three key objectives:

·       To establish a common policy across Worcestershire authorities and provide greater clarity and consistency of arrangements.

·       To adopt nationally recognised performance targets in order to improve delivery timescales for urgent and non-urgent, as well as complex and non-complex, cases.

·       To remove additional discretionary fees for high-value adaptations, thereby providing greater flexibility to approve exceptional cases.

Members also noted that the policy recognised the Armed Forces Covenant and set out how the Council would work with local organisations to ensure that serving personnel, veterans and their families received appropriate support where required.

In relation to funding, the Committee was advised that the revised policy would not place any additional financial burden on the Council. Funding for housing assistance was provided by Government through the Better Care Fund and through recycled funding arising from previous assistance cases where repayment conditions had been triggered.

In concluding the presentation, the Private Sector Housing Manager advised that the policy would enable the Council to meet its statutory responsibilities, provide a fair and transparent framework for housing assistance, support residents to remain independent in their homes, improve energy efficiency and help address service failures where identified.

Following presentation of the report, the Committee considered the recommendations that had been proposed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting held the previous evening as set out below:

RECOMMENDED that

The following amendments be made to the Housing Assistance Policy 2026:

1) Wording be added to the first paragraph of section 13 – Decisions, Notifications and Redeterminations, to read: “The Council will do everything it can to fast track cases where applicants have rapidly progressing or terminal conditions.”

2) Information is set out at the beginning of the document on who is eligible to apply under the Policy (both for the Disabled Facilities Grant and any discretionary assistance set out under the Policy).

3) That the financial eligibility criteria (i.e. income and savings test limits and contribution thresholds for amounts above the limit) are clearly set  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22

Appendix 2 to this report will follow in a supplementary pack (following Executive publication).

The Private Sector Housing Manager presented the Housing Assistance Policy and explained that the policy set out how the Council provides financial assistance to residents to help them adapt, repair and improve their homes. Members were advised that the policy focused particularly on supporting disabled and vulnerable residents to live independently in their own homes. It was noted that the policy was a statutory requirement and provided the framework for the delivery of mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs), together with a range of discretionary assistance schemes, including support for property repairs, energy efficiency improvements and top up funding where adaptation costs exceeded the mandatory grant limit.

Members were informed that the revised policy had been developed jointly with all six Worcestershire local authorities to provide a consistent county-wide approach to housing assistance. It was reported that the policy would support the Worcestershire Home Adaptation Service, improve customer experience and help prepare for the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) arrangements. Key changes included the introduction of a single Worcestershire-wide Housing Assistance Policy, adoption of nationally recognised performance targets for the delivery of adaptations, removal of certain administrative fees to maximise funding available for adaptations, greater flexibility to approve exceptional cases, and formal recognition of the Armed Forces Covenant through the provision of additional support where appropriate for serving personnel, veterans and their families. The Committee was advised that the policy would continue to be funded through the Better Care Fund and recycled grant repayments and would not place any additional financial burden on the Council.

During consideration of the report, Members queried the implications of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and whether the proposed county-wide arrangements would remain appropriate once new unitary authority arrangements had been established. Officers advised that the shared approach would assist with consistency across the county and support future transitional arrangements.

Detailed discussion took place regarding Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) and the extent to which applicants understood the application process, eligibility requirements and financial contributions that might be required. Members expressed concerns that applicants were sometimes unaware that grants could be means tested and that financial contributions might be required, which could cause distress, particularly for disabled and vulnerable residents. It was suggested that clearer communication should be provided at the outset of the process, including information about what adaptations could and could not be funded, how means testing was undertaken and the circumstances in which applicants may be expected to contribute towards costs.

Officers outlined the role of the Worcestershire Home Adaptation Service and explained that all applicants were initially assessed by an Occupational Therapist (OT). Following referral, applicants were allocated a caseworker who would undertake a means test assessment and provide support throughout the application process. Members were informed that the service assisted residents with applications, contractor procurement, planning permissions, building control requirements and access to wider support services. Officers explained that mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants were subject to national legislation and that means testing arrangements were applied consistently across the country. It was also confirmed that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20