Introduction

Safe, Warm and Secure is a discretionary form of assistance up to a maximum of £15,000 (subject to available funding) to provide essential property repairs to bring property up to the decent homes standard removing category 1 hazards in line with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This falls in line with the Local Authority statutory duty in our Housing Assistance policy.

Criteria to access this grant

• Homeowners only
• Must be in receipt of means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, guaranteed pension credit, council tax reduction
• Removal of Category One hazards and reducing Category Two hazards under the criteria of the Housing Act 2004
• Thermal comfort
• Updating bathrooms over 30 years old that are in a state of disrepair
• Updating kitchens over 20 years old
• Reasonable repair given the age and locality of the property

People not in receipt of means tested benefits should in the first instance contact our preferred loan provider Lendology for a financial assessment.

The grant is available for permanent residents of Somerset only and is registered as a charge against the property which will be repayable upon sale or transfer of the property. The charge will be binding on successors in the title.

List of works that could be eligible for the grant (subject to an inspection carried out by one of our Independent Living Officers or Technical Officers).

• Window and door replacement or repairs
• Damp and mould
• Electrical and gas safety works
• Structural disrepair such as roof repairs or replacement
• Repairs or modifications to stairs, floors and steps – not carpeting or tiling.
• Water supply, drainage and heating issues
• Works to bring properties up to a decent home standard – i.e. kitchens and bathrooms over the stated age

To access this grant, residents can choose to either project manage the work themselves, or one of our Independent Living Officers can project manage the work for a 12% fee. Regardless of whether the client or the Independent Living Officer is overseeing the work, there is a requirement for the officer to carry out a site visit to check the works requested are eligible. The officer must visit again on completion of work, before payment is made to the contractor, to ensure that the work complies with current standards such as Building Regulations.

Referral form

To make a referral for adaptations, please complete our referral form:

Duty holders

The Building Regulations 2010 as amended in 2023 introduced the role of duty holders.

There are three new duty holders defined in the amended regulations. Please note that every application must name people assigned to the following roles, with the client being responsible for appointing the other duty holders:

• Client (including Domestic Clients) – previously known as the Applicant
• Principal Designer – previously known as the Agent. If you do not have a Principal Designer or agent, you will by default be the Principal Designer
• Principal Contractor – previously known as the Builder

The regulations state that all duty holders are obliged to have arrangements and systems in place to plan, manage and monitor both the design work and the building work to ensure compliance with building regulations. This includes residential homeowners who may be embarking on a project for the first time, and residential homeowners are referred to as Domestic Clients.

The duty to ensure compliance remains with those who procure the building work and those who have key roles in the design and construction process. They are responsible for ensuring that building work is designed and built to be compliant with building regulations. The duty holders are required to work together to ensure that the project complies with the requirements of the regulations, and ultimately ensures that the Building Control Body can issue its completion certificate.

For more detailed information please contact Somerset Building Control.