Home improvements
Care and Repair
If you are a homeowner aged 60 or over, you could benefit from the Care and Repair scheme. You could also benefit if you have a disability or you are a crofter. The help is targeted at those in greatest need, particularly those living alone or in unsatisfactory conditions, in poor health, or with a physical disability. You will not pay tax on any of these grants.
The Care and Repair scheme provides advice and help for homeowners so they can repair, improve or adapt their homes and stay comfortably in their community.
Care and Repair in Scotland will supervise the work to your home.
Project staff will:
- give advice
- recommend local tradesmen
- help access funding (usually grants from local councils)
- organise major renovation work
A number of projects include small repair services, including handyman schemes that carry out very small repairs that might otherwise be expensive.
If you want to find out more about Care and Repair in your area, you should contact your local authority housing department. You can find the contact details for your local authority on the Directgov website. You can also phone the Care and Repair Forum on 0141 221 9879. The line is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Or you can write to them at: Care and Repair Forum, 236 Clyde Street, Glasgow G1 4JH, or email the Care and Repair Forum.
Improvements and Repair Grants System
If you are a homeowner or a private tenant, your local council may be able to help you with the cost of improving, adapting or repairing your home. In most cases it is up to the local council to decide whether to give a grant. But there are some circumstances in which the council must award a grant.
For example, they may do this if they have served an improvement order, or if the house doesn't have a fixed bath or shower. The amount of grant available to you will depend on your income and on the type of work that needs to be done.
You will not have to pay tax on these grants.
Your local council is responsible for handling the grant scheme and will be able to give you more information about what help may be available in your area.
Find your local council on the Directgov website
Retirement sheltered housing
Sheltered housing may be for you if you are aged 60 or over and you want to live in a home that has been designed specifically for an older person's needs.
Whether you are single or a couple, wanting to rent or buy, sheltered housing could be an option. Schemes do vary from provider to provider, but they usually combine good-quality housing with security and the independence of 'your own front door'.
Schemes often offer services such as a warden or resident manager, 24-hour alarm service, laundry services, shared areas and social activities.
Increasingly local authorities are able to provide many of the warden services which would be available in sheltered housing to homeowners or tenants in their own homes. They do this through ‘floating support’ services provided under the Supporting People programme.
Where this support is available, it would mean that you do not need to move into sheltered housing to receive regular visits from a support worker. The support worker could:
- offer advice on claiming benefits
- help you deal with your gas, electricity, phone and other bills
- offer other practical support to help you live in your own home longer
You can get information about local Supporting People services from your
local Supporting People Team. This may be part of your local council or
county council.
Find out more details details on the
Supporting People website
If you decide to rent or buy, you will need to pay a service charge to cover all services, including administration and maintenance costs. You may be entitled to Housing Benefit or Pension Credit, and will be told about this when you apply. This could help you with some of the service charges. For more information on Housing Benefit and Pension Credit, see the Money and tax section of this website.
To find out more about sheltered housing schemes in your area, contact your local council, housing associations and private retirement housing providers and arrange to visit some schemes. You can also contact the Elderly Accommodation Counsel on 020 7820 1343.
For advice on sheltered housing, you can phone the Retirement Housing Advice Service (INNIS) on 0131 220 6347. The line is open from 2.00pm to 4.30pm on Mondays, and 9.30am to 1.00pm on Tuesdays.
Did you know...?
People over 75 can apply for a free TV licence?
See our Travel and leisure section for more information.