COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, September 09, 2013
QUESTION NO.12
QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney
To ask the Manager for an update on funding and spending for 2013 for housing adaptation grants (HAGS/MAGS/HOPS) and the tenant disabled persons grants, and to state the Council's approach to seeking funding in Budget 2014 for these grants?
REPLY:
Housing Grant Schemes for older people and those who are disabled:
Housing Grant Schemes for older people and those who are disabled (HAGS, MAGS and HOPS) are financed 80% by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and 20% by the Council from its own resources.
These grants are available in respect of owner occupied dwellings and certain rented dwellings (subject to written permission being provided by the Landlord). The schemes provide that grants may be awarded by South Dublin County Council to qualified applicants subject to the criteria set out in the regulations and associated guidance documents issued by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DoECLG).
The Council was notified by letter dated 1st March 2013 from DoECLG of its 2013 approved allocation for the payment of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Schemes in the sum of €1,213,986.05. This allocation represented a 40% reduction (nationally) on the 2012 spend on these grants.
Following a request of the Members, and careful in-house monitoring of ongoing demand and expenditure, the Council made two separate submissions to the DoECLG which outlined the position of the Council in relation to the funding and asked that favourable consideration be given to potentially sourcing additional funding for these vital Housing Grant Schemes.
Two supplementary allocations of €100,889 and €156,934 respectively were approved in response to claims made to the Department bringing the *combined capital allocation to total €1,536,265.
We are continuing to administer the scheme by targeting funding at essential works only on the basis of medical needs prioritised below (as outlined in March 2013 DoECLG allocation notification letter):
Priority 1: Terminally ill or mainly dependent on family or a carer, or where alterations/adaptations would facilitate the discharge from hospital or alleviate hospitalisation in the future.
Priority 2: Mobile, but needs assistance in accessing facilities, or where, without the adaptation the disabled persons' ability to function independently would be hindered.
Priorty3: The applicant is independent, but requires special facilities to improve their quality of life, e.g. separate bedroom or living space.
At the 31/08/2013, 143 grants totaling €1,151,527 were paid out and grants to a value of €444,252 were approved but not yet paid. Therefore as this year's allocation is fully accounted for we are carefully monitoring 'take up' of approvals to ensure that any monies approved but not expended are brought back through the system.
2014 Budgets:
The application to the DoECLG for the Council's share of the national allocation is normally made having regard to the following information requested annually:
· Number and value of applications already granted approval
· Number and value of applications on hand and awaiting approval
· Projection of number and value payments for applications to be received in 2014
A review of the housing grant schemes is currently before the Minister for consideration.
Local Authority Tenant Works:
There are currently circa 200 applications for various types of works required on our housing stock to improve the quality of life of tenants and housing applicants who have varying and severe medical needs. The estimated financial cost of these works is c €1,469,000.
Funding for these works is generally provided for from two sources as follows:
DoECLG - The Council received approval from DoECLG of 2013 funding in the sum of €154,282 for the provision of extensions to council dwellings to facilitate seriously disabled persons. 90% of this amount is fully recoupable from the DoECLG ie €138,854.
This money is now fully expended and an application for additional funding was recently made to the DoECLG in the hope that some inroads may be made in addressing the critical needs of a number of applicants who require extensions to their dwellings and whose applications have been supported with strong medical and occupational therapy evidence.
SDCC Internal Capital receipts – while these are capital funds generated by the Council, the use of these receipts require the approval of the DoECLG.
For 2013 a sum of €348,000 has been made available to meet the cost of varying types of works
2014 Budgets:
Being mindful of diminishing ICRs the provision for 2014 will be made based on availability of ICRs and the level of their use as approved by the DoECLG.