Disablity adaptations to council house (Stairlift etc.) while processing Right to Buy

HampshireH

Hi Ed-1

You PMd me asking if there was any significance to my post above asking if there was going to be a charge on the property.

The answer is yes and predominately answered above by Cakeguts.

If a gift of x amount us given then it would need to be declared and affect grant funding.

Ed-1

HampshireH wrote: »

Hi Ed-1

You PMd me asking if there was any significance to my post above asking if there was going to be a charge on the property.

The answer is yes and predominately answered above by Cakeguts.

If a gift of x amount us given then it would need to be declared and affect grant funding.

But making it a loan ratger than a gift doesn't?

HampshireH

I genuinely don't know the answer to that one sorry.

Someone else is probably better placed to answer. I would however strongly recommend getting advice from the solicitor you will be involving.

The person living in the house could be turfed out if the person placing a charge on the property forces a sale. The Council would let you know if an RTB would be eligible with a loan/charge on the property. Or whether they don't care.

The person living in the house will have all costs for maintenance. If they have no savings etc now and therefore are entitled to grant funding, they would still need to manage the repair costs of a house someone else has paid for.

The government have RTB advisors who can be contacted for advice

HampshireH

The charge means that on sale they could claim the loan back.

However if a sale was to take place within 5 years they may need to pay back the RTB discount or a percentage of. They would need to be able to afford this in addition to paying back the charge. (Irrelevant to the grant funding)

The grant funding costs would be seperate and the OT or person you have put the application in through should be able to help. This may be different from area to area depending on local policies

Ed-1

HampshireH wrote: »

I genuinely don't know the answer to that one sorry.

Without getting into a wider debate about RTB rights and wrongs, I just want to focus on the Disabled Facilities Grant.

I can't see how - as you put it - a gift would affect grant funding if the gift is buying the property and the property being lived in is not counted in the means test.

xylophone

if the gift

You said above that it is not a gift but a loan?

Ed-1

xylophone wrote: »

You said above that it is not a gift but a loan?

If it was a gift. I can't see how it would affect the means test for that specific grant in either form unless there's some deprivation of capital rule.

theartfullodger

Ed-1 wrote: »

Without getting into a wider debate about RTB rights and wrongs, I just want to focus on the Disabled Facilities Grant.................

Great: But many, including myself, see both matters heavily entwined in your stated case.

Are you -
- the tenant?
- tenant's relative?
- person planning gift/loan/charge??
- Occupational therapist?
- something else, please?

Clearly the deserving should get cheaper council/Housing-assoc rental housing and adaptions subsidised.

Best regards to all

Artful (in receipt of 6 benefits, thank you you generous taxpayers...)

missprice

It may depend on each council but I know in my area, once Rtb is started, no repairs or maintenance is done on the property.
People have pulled out because the "roof or whatever" needed renewing.

Here's what it says on website
​If you have applied for the right to buy your home, works to improve your home will not take place. Any major work would affect the valuation of the property.

So disability related alterations will affect the price therefore shouldn't be done.