Help to repair and maintain your home

Discretionary Home Repair Loans are available to homeowners and leaseholders to repair and maintain your property to eliminate or reduce risks in the home to an acceptable level.

The loan is means-tested and secured against your property.

If you sell the property or transfer the ownership within five years, then the loan may be repayable with compound interest. After five years, it is repayable without interest.

Repairs we can help with

Repairs could include reducing cold hazards by replacing windows and doors, replacing boilers, improving insulation, making roof repairs and preventing damp and mould issues that have an effect on your health.

This is known as removing Category 1 and some Category 2 hazards as defined in the Housing Act 2004.

Category 1 hazards pose a serious and immediate risk to a person's health and safety. Less dangerous and less urgent hazards are in category 2.

Our team will also look for other forms of funding available locally and nationally alongside home repair loans.

Help you will get

The minimum loan is £100, and the maximum is £30,000 in any ten-year period. This includes any other repair loans provided by Colchester Borough Council in that period.

If you receive an income-based, means-tested benefit, you will typically not have to contribute to the cost of the works.

These include:

• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Related Employment Support Allowance
• Income Related Job Seekers Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Income Support
• Pension Credit (guarantee element only)
• Working or Child Tax Credits where your income is below £15,050

If you do not receive an income-based, means-tested benefit, you may have to contribute to the cost of the works.

Who can apply

Priority will be given to applicants:

• who have a disability, or
• who have owned and lived in the property for at least three years

Applicants who do not meet these criteria may still apply. Each case will be decided on its own merits.

Properties with serious or life-threatening problems will be considered before those with minor disrepair.

How to apply

By completing a preliminary enquiry form, we can tell you if you are eligible and what contribution, if any, you would be expected to make.

Contact us for further information and to receive a preliminary enquiry form.

Contact us