Housing financial assistance
- Disabled Facilities Grant
- Home Repair Assistance
- Energy efficiency grants and discounts
- Chichester Warm Homes Initiative
- Landlord accreditation assistance
Disabled Facilities Grant
If you have a disability, you can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grants. Disabled Facilities Grants are available to homeowners, private tenants, or those occupying properties owned by a registered provider e.g. a housing association.
Disabled Facilities Grants can be given for works such as the following:
- Providing access to your property;
- Installing a stair lift;
- Converting a bathroom to a level access shower room; or,
- Providing a wheelchair accessible kitchen.
Before applying for a grant an Occupational Therapist must first assess your needs. If you do not already have an Occupational Therapist please call 01243 642121 or go to WSCC Adult Care Point (opens new window).
Once the council has received a referral for adaptation works from your Occupational Therapist, and providing that you are in receipt of a means tested benefit you can submit an application for a grant. If you are not in receipt of a means tested benefit you must first complete a means test questionnaire and send it to the Housing Standards Team at Chichester District Council, and depending upon the outcome you may be asked to contribute towards the cost of the works. Please note that children under 16 years or in full time education up to the age of 19 are eligible for a full grant and are not required to complete a means test.
It is important to note that before adaptation works are approved, they must be assessed by an officer within the Housing Standards Team to determine that they are reasonable and practicable. If you are a tenant, the landlord will be required to give permission for the works to be done.
The previous policy, is also available to view:
Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) means test calculator (opens new window)
Home Repair Assistance
If you own your own property and have lived there for more than a year, it is your main residence and you have responsibility for maintenance and repairs, you may qualify for Home Repairs Assistance.
Funding is available to those who are in receipt of a means tested benefit, Disabled Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment OR the household income is less than £20,000 pa and the applicant has less than £16,000 in savings.
Works considered suitable for funding are those that would resolve a serious health and safety hazard in the home as assessed by a member of the Housing Standards Team. Funding is available up to a maximum of £30,000 for a permanent dwelling or £5,000 for a residential park home. Funding will be registered as a local land charge and is repayable upon sale of the property or if the property is no longer the applicant's main dwelling. Further conditions apply.
For more information and to discuss your property please contact the Housing Standards Team.
Apply for Home Repairs Assistance
Energy efficiency grants and discounts
The Government and energy companies along with a number of organisations provide grants or discounts to help residents. The schemes on offer regularly change. If you are interested in finding out what is currently available please visit West Sussex Energy (opens new window).
Alternatively you may prefer to discuss your property needs with our delivery partner, Chichester and Arun Citizens Advice (opens new window) who will be able to provide advice and support you in making an application if required.
Chichester Warm Homes Initiative
Home owners and landlords letting their properties to tenants on a low income can apply for funding for energy efficiency and low carbon measures where the occupant is in fuel poverty rating of F or G.
Available measures include:
- a whole-house efficient heating system,
- thermal insulation,
- boiler repair,
- hot water tank repair/replacement, and;
- window repair or replacement.
Applicants must either be in receipt of a means tested benefit, Disabled Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment or a household income of less than £25,000 pa less than £16,000 in savings.
Funding will be up to a maximum of £10,000 (or £25,000 in areas where gas is not available). Landlords will be required to pay 50% of the cost. The cost of the works is noted on the local land charge register and must be repaid if the property is sold. For Landlords the funding must be repaid if the property is sold within 5 years. Further conditions apply.
Please submit your application. Alternatively if you have further questions, or would like to discuss making an application please contact our delivery partner at Citizens Advice (opens new window)
Apply for the Warm Homes initiative
Landlord accreditation assistance
Landlords with properties within the Chichester District who join the Chichester and Arun Landlord Accreditation Scheme are eligible to apply for Landlord Accreditation Assistance, which provides financial assistance towards the cost of a wide range of works required to meet the Accreditation Scheme standards.
In order to apply landlords must first complete an application form to join the scheme, which can be found here Landlord Accreditation Scheme . Once an application has been received the Council will arrange to inspect the property and identify any required works. The items eligible for Landlord Accreditation Assistance will be compiled and sent to the landlord to assist them with obtaining a quote for each item listed. The landlord must then submit two quotes for each specified works (comparable quotes will only be accepted) along with an application form. Please see the Landlords Financial Assistance Application form below
Landlord Accreditation Assistance for Chichester District is provided at a rate of 50% of the total cost of the eligible works, up to a maximum of £4000 throughout any 5 year period. Financial assistance is available towards the cost of the majority of works required to meet the scheme standards. However portable items such as fire blankets and battery powered carbon monoxide detectors, etc. are not included.
Empty Homes Assistance
Landlords who own properties that have been empty for a minimum of 12 months are eligible to apply for Empty Homes Assistance. Landlords will receive 100% of the cost of works to bring the property up to the Council's Accreditation Standard. The funding available is up to a maximum of £10,000 throughout a ten-year period and the applicant must retain a qualifying interest in the property for 10 years. If the landlord sells the property within 10 years from the certified completion date of the eligible works all assistance will be repayable.
Landlords wishing to enquire about this assistance should contact the Housing Standards team to arrange for an officer to inspect the property. The items eligible for Empty Homes Assistance will be compiled and sent to the landlord to assist them with obtaining a quote for each item listed. The landlord must then submit two quotes for each specified works along with an application form.
Apply for Landlord financial assistance
Contact us
For further information and advice email contact@chichester.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can phone us on 01243 785166.
Share this page
