Dundee Care and Repair

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Information/Service?

Dundee Care and Repair Team
Dundee House
50 North Lindsay Street
Dundee DD1 1NB
Tel: 01382 436895/435583
Email:private.sector@dundeecity.gov.uk

Care and Repair is an important service for people living in private sector housing. The aim of Dundee Care & Repair (DC&R) is to improve the quality of life for older people and people of any age with disability or chronic illness, who are living in unsatisfactory housing conditions. This can be achieved by the provision of practical advice and assistance with necessary improvements and repairs, which will allow clients to remain comfortably and safely in their own homes. Dundee Care & Repair is part of the Council's Scheme of Assistance for Private Sector Housing (151KB PDF)

Enquiries to Dundee Care & Repair
Enquiries can be made by telephone, by letter, or in person at the front desk of our office, and will result in advice being given or a Small Repairs Award or a Care & Repair Grant.

The outcome of the enquiry is dependant upon the nature of the proposed work, whether or not the person qualifies for financial assistance and the cost of the proposed work.

Contact telephone numbers for Dundee Care & Repair are 01382 436895 and 435583.

Who can apply?
DC&R assist people of all ages and across all housing tenures with advice, however, financial assistance can only be given to those meeting certain criteria. To qualify for financial assistance a person must be:

In receipt of State Retirement Pension, a home owner or tenant in privately rented accommodation and be on a low or limited income. Income levels will be assessed however those in receipt of the guarantee element of Pension Credit or in receipt of Direct Council Tax benefit will automatically qualify.

A home owner or tenant in privately rented accommodation of any age, having a disability or chronic ill health ( in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or Incapacity Benefit) and be on a low or limited income. Income levels will be assessed however those in receipt of Income Support or in receipt of Direct Council Tax benefit will automatically qualify.

NB Assistance may be given to Council or Housing Association tenants, but only if the applicant meets the qualifying criteria for financial assistance and the work is deemed necessary and is not the responsibility of the Council or Housing Association to carry out. (e.g. repairing a shower installed by the tenant)

Advice
Advice can be as simple as giving information in a telephone call to assisting with the arrangement of substantial improvement or repair works. DC&R also help people access services such as:

Social Work - Occupational Therapy, Welfare Rights, Community Alarm
Social Work Handyperson Service
Department of Work and Pensions - Pension Service
Energy Assistance Package & Energy Savings Trust
Dundee Energy Efficiency Advice Project, Dundee City Council
Trusted Trader scheme run by Trading Standards, Dundee City Council
Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID)

Small Repairs Award
Small Repairs are classified as works costing up to £375 + VAT (i.e. £440.63) and provided that the cost of the works do not exceed this amount, an applicant would not have to make any personal contribution to the cost. For works costing more than £375 + VAT, clients must agree to pay the excess amount before works can be instructed.

Examples of the some of the Small Repair works are as follows:

Security - Replacement door locks, fitting door locks, window locks and door viewers, fitting security lighting, repairing fencing.
Repairs to doors and windows
Roof repairs
Repairing or replacing rainwater goods
Repair to older gas boilers and central heating systems
Plumbing repairs to kitchen and bathroom facilities
Repairs to electrical installation (wiring, sockets, distribution board, etc)
Repairs to pathways and access steps

Care & Repair Grant
This type of grant can be applied for if the cost of the necessary work significantly exceeds the maximum Small Repairs Award but by its nature would not attract assistance with a Discretionary Repairs or Improvement Grant. The applicant must also meet the appropriate criteria for financial assistance from DC&R. Grant assistance is available at a rate of 40%.

Handyperson Service
The Handyperson Service, as part of Dundee City Council's Home Care Service, is committed to sustaining and supporting people in their own homes by undertaking certain maintenance tasks and a home safety assessment.
The service cannot provide an emergency response and there may be a need to prioritise the availability of the service. The service's priority is to help those who are of a pensionable age, chronically sick or disabled or on a low income.

All the Handyperson Service staff are appropriately trained in respect of Health & Safety Requirements, however the staff are not employed as a tradesperson but can offer advice about the Trusted Trader Scheme organised by EHTS.

The type of tasks the Handyperson Service can undertake include:

changing light bulbs
installing smoke alarms and replacing batteries
taking down and putting up curtains
undertaking safety checks of household electrical items, e.g. kettles
moving furniture within a room
undertaking a home safety assessment

A request for this service can be made to the Handyperson Team, who can provide more information on this service and advise you of any costs that may be involved:

Handyperson Service
Units 5/6/7 Slessor Court
Claverhouse Industrial Estate
DUNDEE DD4 9UA
Tel: 01382 432437
Fax: 01382 432434

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This information is provided by the Housing Department