Housing and rental support
Grants available for affordable warmth and energy efficiency
Please see below for details of financial assistance or schemes operating and supported by Mansfield District Council to improve the energy efficiency of homes and provide affordable warmth assistance for Mansfield residents. Any assistance offered will be subject to the availability of council resources at the time the application is made.
Mansfield Warm Homes on Prescription Grant
The Mansfield Warm Homes on Prescription programme targets owner occupiers on low income at the greatest risk of harm in the private sector suffering from certain cold-sensitive health conditions.
Assistance offered through the scheme can include the following three elements, depending upon the circumstances of the occupant:
- Heating improvements - boiler repairs or replacement or new heating controls.
- Make heating affordable - increasing income using benefits checks, using heating efficiently, setting controls and timers.
- Advice on the importance of keeping warm.
Eligibility |
Grants are available to owner occupiers only with certain long term health conditions exacerbated by the cold and who are living in fuel poverty. For the purposes of the programme, the eligible health conditions are:
Applicants must be in receipt of a means tested benefit or on a low household income of less than £21,000 (excluding housing costs, PIP/DLA and attendance allowance) with less than £16,000 in household savings. Applicants will need to have lived in the property as their main residence for a minimum of 1 year prior to application. |
Eligible Work |
Works will be specified and scheduled by the council following a property assessment and can include replacement heating systems including boilers, radiators and associated pipework. In addition, works can include heating system repairs where appropriate and works to facilitate the grant such as providing a gas connection, enlarging the loft hatch etc. Works will be in addition to the provision of affordable warmth advice to the householder. |
Financial Arrangements |
A grant maximum of £6,000 will apply. The council will appoint a contractor via a framework agreement. Evidence of income/savings will be required prior to approval e.g. previous bank statements. |
Application |
Applications are made to the Private Sector Housing Service at Mansfield District Council. Applications for retrospective works will not be accepted. |
Payment |
The council will make payment direct to the contractor on satisfactory completion of the works and production of invoices. Assistance includes the contractor’s standard warranty period only and does not include any ongoing repairs, servicing or maintenance costs; these are the responsibility of the applicant. |
Green Homes Scheme
The Green Homes Grant is delivered through funding from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy and for a limited time only grants will be available for external wall insulation, loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. The grant targets owner occupiers on low income living in a property with an EPC rating of D to G.
Assistance will be subject to an assessment of income/savings. Private rented properties will not be eligible for an External Wall Insulation Grant however the council may use informal/formal enforcement to secure energy efficiency improvements to rented properties through negotiation with the property owner.
Works are carried out by an approved contractor via a framework agreement who will also check if the applicant is eligible funding.
Eligibility |
Grants are available to owner occupiers only who are living in fuel poverty which is determined by the approved contractor carrying out the work. Eligibility criteria includes household income of less than £1750 a month (after discounting mortgage payments), with less than £16,000 in household savings. |
Eligible Work |
External wall insulation. |
Financial Arrangements |
The council will appoint a contractor via a framework agreement. Evidence of income/savings will be required prior to approval e.g. previous bank statements. Cost of grant will be total amount required to complete the EWI |
Application |
Applications are made to the Private Sector Housing Service at Mansfield District Council. Applications for retrospective works will not be accepted. |
Payment |
The council will make payment direct to the contractor on satisfactory completion of the works and production of invoices. Assistance includes the contractor’s standard warranty period only and does not include any ongoing repairs, servicing or maintenance costs; these are the responsibility of the applicant. |
Healthy Homes Grants
Healthy Home Grants are available to remove some of the most serious hazards from owner occupied homes with a view to improving health and wellbeing.
Works covered by the grant may include energy efficiency improvements to the property, such as replacement of rotten or defective windows and doors or repair and replacement of roofing where their state of disrepair is contributing to a Category 1 Hazard.
Eligibility |
Grants will be available to owner occupiers only being supported by the Healthy Homes Hub. If applicants are in receipt of a means tested benefit they will not be required to contribute to the grant. If applicants do not receive means tested benefits they will be subject to a test of resources in order to calculate their contribution towards the grant. The applicant must have lived in the property for at least 2 years prior to approval. |
Eligible Work |
Works will be determined by the council using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) during a whole property assessment. A schedule of works will be determined by the council to remove Category 1 hazards (A-C) as a priority and then certain Category 2 hazards (D-E only, with the exception of the ‘excess cold’ hazard where only Category 1 hazards will be removed). Works to habitable areas of the property can be included only and any works relating to sheds, outbuildings, conservatories and gardens for example will be excluded from eligible work. It may not be possible to remove all hazards from the home due to the limitations of funding however the most serious hazards will be prioritised. |
Financial Arrangements |
A grant is available up to a maximum of £15,000 (including VAT and £1000 contingency sum). Assistance will be offered subject to the availability of resources at the time of application. |
Application |
Applications are made to the Private Sector Housing Service at Mansfield District Council. |
Payment |
Payment is made direct to the applicant’s contractor on satisfactory completion of the works and production of invoices. Any assessed client contribution will be payable by the applicant direct to their contractor upon satisfactory completion of works. The contract for the works remains between the applicant and their selected contractor. A minimum of 3 quotes will be required for the scheduled works and the grant will be approved upon the basis of the lowest quote. If the applicant chooses to select a different contractor that is not the cheapest, they can do so providing they pay the difference in price direct to their contractor on satisfactory completion of works. The council will inspect the works on completion however cannot be involved in any disputes between the applicant and their contractor. |
Nottinghamshire Energy Partnership
The Nottinghamshire Energy Partnership provides advice and signposting assistance in regards to any assistance that may be available across the County for affordable warmth measures.
Further information is available by visiting the Nottinghamshire Energy Partnership website (open in new window).
Direct Help & Advice (DHA)
DHA provides free specialist advice, advocacy, and representation for families and individuals facing crisis, to prevent and alleviate homelessness, debt, and housing difficulty. You can contact them by calling 01332 287850 or emailing info@dhadvice.org.
For more information visit the DHA website (open in new window).
Making referrals
To make a referral for a Warm Homes on Prescription Grant, External Wall Insulation Grant and a Healthy Homes Grant, please send enquiries to adminpsh@mansfield.gov.uk or by calling Private Sector Housing on 01623 463212 or 01623 463702. We will need the following details from you:
- Client name
- Client address
- Contact details for owner, friend, family or carer in order for us to arrange to visit their home
- Brief details about the hazards in the property that concern you e.g. dampness, mould growth, property is cold etc.