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Gateway to Services in the UK |
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Finding a home
Through your local authority
One of the roles of your local authority is to help disabled people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. The social services and housing departments will work together to help if it is necessary for you to move to a more suitable property. They may also be able to arrange a transfer if you wish to move to a different area.
Through housing associations
A housing association is a non-profit making organisation run by a voluntary committee to provide low cost rented houses or help low-income earners buy their own. Working closely with both local authorities and charitable groups, they can provide housing for people with particular needs such as disability
You can get a list of housing associations specialising in housing for disabled people from your local authority or Housing Corporation which would keep information on registered associations.
Offices of The Housing Corporation
London
Waverley
House, 7–12 Noel Street, London W1F 8BA Telephone: 020 7292 4400
Fax: 020 7292 4401 Email: london.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk.
North
Leeds:
1 Park Lane, Leeds, LS3 1EP Telephone: 0845 230 7000 Fax: 0113 233 7101
Email: northeastern.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk
Manchester: Elisabeth House, 16 St. Peter’s Square, Manchester M2
3DF Telephone: 0845 230 7000 Fax: 0161 242 2001 Email: northwest.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk
Liverpool: Colonial Chambers, 3–11 Temple Street, Liverpool L2 5RH
Telephone: 0845 230 7000 Fax: 0151 242 1201 Email: merseyside.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk.
Central
Leicester:
Attenborough House, 109/119 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FQ Telephone:
0116 242 4800 Fax: 0116 242 4801 Email: east.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk
Wolverhampton: 31 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton WV1 4DJ Telephone: 01902
795000 Fax: 01902 795001 Email: westmidlands.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk.
South
Croydon:
Leon House, High Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1UH Telephone: 020 8253 1400
Fax: 020 8253 1444 Email: southeast.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk
Exeter: Beaufort House, 51 New North Road, Exeter EX4 4EP Telephone: 01392
428200 Fax: 01392 428201 Email: southwest.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk
Corporate Services
Maple
House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7BN Tel: 020 7393 2000 Fax:
020 7393 2111 Email: enquiries@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk
Public Register - information on registered social landlords
Types of home
Housing which is especially suitable for disabled people includes mobility housing, wheelchair and sheltered housing, and lifetime homes.
Mobility housing is a house with special features such as a ramped entrance and wider doors for people who can walk but may sometimes need a wheelchair.
Wheelchair housing is specially designed for people who use wheelchairs all the time.
Sheltered housing is in flats or bungalows with a resident warden for people who are elderly and/or disabled.
Lifetime homes have flexibility to be adapted to people’s changing physical capability over a lifetime, including possible wheelchair use.
Your local authority housing office will tell you about their services and about housing association properties in your area, and advise you which ones have access. They will give you an application form asking what kind of property you want and where you want to live.
In Scotland
contact the local District Housing Department for
your area or Scottish Homes, the national housing agency. Tel: 0131 313
0044
also in Scotland:
Margaret
Blackwood Housing Association
http://www.mbha.org.uk
Provides
housing for rent and shared ownership throughout Scotland for disabled,
older and non-disabled people and their families.
In Wales you can also contact Tai Cymru (formerly Housing for Wales)
Tel: 02920 741500 (Cardiff) or 01492 641797 (Gwynedd)
Helpful organisations include: Age
Concern/ Centre for Accessible Environments/ Disabled Living Centres/
HOMES (Housing Organisations Mobility and Exchange Service/ The Housing
Corporation/ MENCAP/ National Disabled Person’s Housing Service (
an umbrella group for local housing services)/ National Schizophrenia
Fellowship/ RADAR/ RNIB Housing Service/ RNID/ Shaftesbury Society/ Shelter/
Sign Campaigning for Services in Mental Health and Deafness/ SCOPE/ Spinal
Injuries Association.
From the Home Office
Your Practical Guide To Crime Prevention. Free from Publicity Section, Home Office, Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1 9AT Tel: 0207 273 2193
From your local Fire Brigade headquarters
Fire Safety Advice for Disabled People
From Voluntary
Organisations
Building our lives: Housing, independent living and disabled people, By Linda Laurie, Shelter, £3.50 plus 75p-p&p
Meeting the Cost of Adaptations, RADAR £1
How to Find Appropriate Housing, RADAR £1
A Home of My Own ?, by Pauline Thompson, Disablement Income Group, £4.50
Home Management and Housing, Disability Housing Trust
Kitchen Sense for Disabled People, by Gwen Conacher, Disabled Living Foundation, £12.95
Older Home Owners-Financial Help with Repairs, Age Concern
Renovation Grants– Including Help with Housing Repairs and Adaptations, Carers National Association
Your Rights to Housing & Support, by Jenny Morris, Spinal Injuries Association
The BT Guide for people who are disabled or elderly, from local BT shops or Tel: 0800 800150 (voice) 0800 243123 (text)
Our commitment to older or disabled customers, British Gas, from gas shops or phone the number on your gas bill
Making Life Easier for People with Disabilities, Electricity Association, 30, Millbank, London SW1P 4RD
Useful Addresses for People with Disabilities, Electricity Association
See ‘Addresses’ for full addresses of organisations mentioned in ‘HOUSE and HOME’
Further information on home improvements in England and Wales:
The following three publications are available free of charge from the department of the Environment transport and the Regions, Publications Dispatch Centre, Blackhorse road, London SE99 6TT (tel: 0208 691 9191; fax: 0208 694 0099) or, in the event of difficulty, from Housing Renewal Policy Division, Zone 2/G9, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU, or through the Department’s Public Enquiry Unit on 0207 890 3333:
House renovation grants. This booklet provides general advice on the whole grants system.
Disabled facilities grants. This leaflet provides advice on grants to adapt a disabled person’s home
Home repairs assistance. This leaflet provides general advice on the assistance available for minor works to a persons home.
Help with housing repairs (Carers National Association, 20-5 Glasshouse Yard, London EC1A 4JS, tel: 0207 490 8818; fax: 0207 490 8824), free to carers. An information booklet.
House improvement and repair grants in Scotland:
In Scotland, local councils operate a scheme under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 which is different from that in England and Wales. Some types of grant are mandatory, but others are discretionary. Grants may be refused if the property concerned was built or provided by conversion less than 10 years from the date of application (though this restriction can be waived in exceptional circumstances). Grants must be refused in the case of owner-occupier property if the Council Tax valuation band is above Band E (£80,000 at the time of writing). Where allowable, grants are based on the ‘approved expense’ accepted by the council within prescribed limits in prescribed circumstances. Details are given in a free booklet, available from The Scottish Office, Development Department, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ, or from local authorities.
Special help for disabled people: Works needed to make your home suitable for the welfare, accommodation or employment of a disabled person are eligible for improvement grants of up to 75 per cent of £12,000. A Standard Amenity Grant is available to a disabled occupant for the provision of an additional standard amenity more suitably located in the house. Neither the age of the property nor its Council Tax band are taken into consideration when the grant is for a disabled person.
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