To provide Cabinet with an update on the Council’s use of the Better Care Fund allocation and to seek approval of the Financial Assistance Policy for Housing, this policy being an update to the Financial Assistance Policy for Private Sector Housing that was previously approved by Cabinet in 2020.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

 

(a)     notes the update on the delivery of financial assistance via the current Financial Assistance Policy for Private Sector Housing;

 

(b)     approves the Financial Assistance Policy for Housing, as appended; and

 

(c)     authorises the Corporate Director (Operations & Delivery), in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and with the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for housing, to make future amendments to the policy.

 

Cabinet considered a report of the Housing & Planning Portfolio Holder (A.4) which provided it with an update on the Council’s use of the Better Care Fund allocation and sought Cabinet’s approval of the Financial Assistance Policy for Housing, this policy being an update to the Financial Assistance Policy for Private Sector Housing that had been previously approved by Cabinet in 2020.

 

It was reported that the Council had had a Financial Assistance Policy for Private Sector Housing in place for many years with the last significant revision of the policy approved by Cabinet in 2020. Minor amendments to the policy had been made since that date via delegation.

 

Cabinet was informed that the policy set out how the Council would deliver the mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and other discretionary forms of financial assistance that we`re all currently funded via the Council’s allocation from the Better Care Fund (BCF). The DFG and other forms of assistance on offer funded home adaptations such as wet rooms, stairlifts and ramps and could include works to prevent hospital admissions such as replacing heating systems. In 2024/25 155 applicants had benefitted from such assistance.

 

Members were made aware that, in 2025/26 the Council had received an allocation of £2.879m from the BCF for spending on the DFG and other forms of discretionary assistance aimed at supporting residents to continue living independently at home and preventing hospital admissions. This funding was spent by way of awarding grants to those who applied for assistance.

 

Cabinet was advised that those who applied were subject to means testing in most cases and had their application approved if the work they were applying for met the criteria as set out in the policy. The applicant was then responsible for having the work undertaken and on satisfactory completion the Council would pay the grant.

 

In 2024/25 the Council had agreed grants totalling £1.480m. In this financial year up to November 2025 £1.426m has been agreed/committed with £2.700m worth of grants at other stages within the system.

 

Cabinet noted that the Council’s annual spend through the policy had for many years been lower than the BCF allocation and consequently, via the addition of amounts carried forward at the end of year, there was currently a budget of approximately £10.000m, as reported earlier in the year.

 

In order to better align the actual support that was made available via the policy with the annual BCF allocation (including the budgets carried forward) and therefore maximising the number of Tendring residents who could benefit it had been necessary to review the policy to identify potential amendments to meet this aim.

 

It was highlighted that the policy must prioritise the DFG and other forms of discretionary assistance before other potential Social Care Capital projects could be considered.

 

Following a review of the policy, which had included reviewing the historic reasons why residents might not have sought support or declined an offer of support, the resulting proposed revisions to the policy had been put forward:

 

o  renaming the policy to Financial Assistance Policy for Housing;

o  removal of means testing for the mandatory DFG;

o  increase the maximum grant amounts for discretionary options;

o  remove the repayment condition for DFGs for owners (except for extension works);

o  retain Council Tax reduction as a passporting benefit for means tested grants;

o  incorporate the Council Adaptations Policy as per Ombudsman issued guidance;

o  retain the Discretionary Stairlift Grant;

o  reintroduce an option for Housing Renewal Assistance via repaid Financial Assistance Policy capital funds to support Social Care – named Discretionary Renovation Assistance; and

o  introduce a tenure neutral Discretionary Help to Move Grant for those unable to have adaptations.

 

Cabinet was informed that all of the above changes were permissible in terms of the associated guidance, with other Local Authorities also taking similar approaches to maximise the support that could be provided to local residents.

 

In order to support the revisions to the policy and anticipated increased spend it was important to ensure that the Housing Grants team were adequately resourced. A restructure of the team was being undertaken that would ensure that the policy could be effectively delivered. The associated increase in direct staffing costs for DFG funded works could be funded from the BCF as per the latest guidance document.

 

The Council would continue funding an Occupational Therapist working with the Housing service with this specialist resource helping to speed up processes.

 

The above approach could be seen as an initial phase to maximise the current funding available whilst it also helped to demonstrate that the Council had taken all reasonable steps to prioritise DFG, which was likely to be a key criteria that the Government would want to see demonstrated before allowing further potential flexibilities to Local Authorities. With this in mind, it was proposed that a further report be presented to Cabinet later on in 2026 that set out a potential second phase, which was hoped would allow the ability to apply the funding to wider social care capital projects via the BCF. Although this remained subject to on-going consideration and confirmation by the Government, such projects were a further way of increasing support to local residents, examples of which might include improving toileting and showering facilities in temporary accommodation or contributing towards building accessible housing for people living with a disability.

 

The reasons for the Portfolio Holder’s recommendations to Cabinet included:-

 

By revising the policy to maximise grant uptake by removing the means testing requirements for the mandatory DFG (DFGs for children were already not means tested) it was estimated that:

 

·      there would be an increase of a third on the number of recommendations received;

·      a decrease in cancellations at preliminary stage; and,

·      a wave of returning applicants who had been previously unsuccessful in applying for mandatory funding.

 

Additionally, by improving the discretionary provision for residents by increasing maximum limits and adding additional grant types, the Council would not only assist more disabled adults and children to remain living at home in a safe environment by providing more discretionary grants but also prevent hospital admissions and assist with speeding up hospital discharges.

 

The Housing and Planning Portfolio Holder made the following statement:-

 

“Leader, this report provides Cabinet with an update on the Council’s use of the Better Care Fund allocation and seeks approval for the Financial Assistance Policy for Housing to be approved, being an update to the Financial Assistance Policy for Private Sector Housing that was previously approved by Cabinet in 2020, with minor amendments made under delegation since then.

 

The report before us is comprehensive in its detail, and I am grateful to the Housing Manager (Grants and Adaptations) for providing it.

 

The policy, which is attached at Appendix A (from Page109), sets out how the Council will deliver the mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), and other discretionary forms of financial assistance, that are all currently funded via the Council’s allocation from the Better Care Fund.

 

The DFG and other forms of assistance fund home adaptations such as wet rooms, stairlifts and ramps and can also include works to prevent hospital admissions such as replacing heating systems. In the financial year 2024/25, 155 applicants benefitted from such assistance, the council agreeing grants totalling £1,480,000 pounds. This has enabled residents to continue living independently at home, and also preventing hospitalization.

 

For the financial year 2025/26 the Council received an allocation of £2,879,000 pounds from the Better Care Fund. Up to November 2025, a total of £1,426,000 pounds in grants has been agreed or committed, with a further £2,700,00 pounds worth of grants at other stages.

 

This consists of over 400 active cases with 132 grants already completed. Since 1^st November 2025 a further 54 grant payments totalling £394,000 pounds have been processed.

 

Historically, over many years, the Council’s annual spend through the policy has been lower than the allocation, therefore, with amounts carried forward, there is a budget currently of £10,000,000 pounds.

 

In order to better align the actual support that is made available, via the policy, with the annual Better Care Fund allocation of funding, including budgets carried forward, and maximising the number of Tendring residents who will benefit, it has been necessary to review the policy to identify potential amendments to meet this aim.

 

Leader, it is also important to highlight that the policy must prioritise the DFG and other forms of discretionary assistance before other potential Social Care Capital projects can be considered.

 

The following revisions to the policy are proposed, having taken into account why residents may not have sought, or declined, support:

 

Renaming the policy to Financial Assistance Policy for Housing.

Removal of means testing for the mandatory DFG.

Increase the maximum grant amounts for discretionary options.

Remove the repayment condition for DFGs for owners (except for extension works).

Retain Council Tax Reduction as a passporting benefit for means tested grants.

Incorporate the Council Adaptations Policy as per Ombudsman issued guidance.

Retain the Discretionary Stairlift Grant.

Reintroduce an option for Housing Renewal Assistance via repaid Financial

Assistance Policy capital funds to support Social Care – named Discretionary

Renovation Assistance.

Introduce a tenure neutral Discretionary Help to Move Grant for those unable to

have adaptations.

 

Leader, that is a brief introduction to this Policy, there is plenty of further information within the rest of the report, and by us adopting this Policy today, it is hoped, and anticipated, that those residents who were unsuccessful over the last few years, and may not have managed to get necessary work completed privately, will return.”

 

It was moved by Councillor Baker, seconded by Councillor Stephenson and:-

 

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

 

(a)     notes the update on the delivery of financial assistance via the current Financial Assistance Policy for Private Sector Housing;

 

(b)     approves the Financial Assistance Policy for Housing, as appended; and

 

(c)     authorises the Corporate Director (Operations & Delivery), in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and with the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for housing, to make future amendments to the policy.