The essential repairs grants scheme is targeted at meeting the needs of elderly people living in unfit housing who would otherwise require to be rehoused by the local authority. The scheme enables basic repairs to be carried out to houses which cannot be made fit in all respects at a reasonable cost so that they can continue to provide an acceptable standard of accommodation for the occupants. The cost of rewiring a house is not specifically excluded under the scheme but it is a matter for local authorities to assess the circumstances of each individual case and decide what works are necessary to prolong the useful life of the house for the occupants.
The task force on special housing aid for the elderly, which is operated by health boards, administers an emergency aid programme to improve the housing conditions of elderly persons living alone in unfit or unsanitary accommodation. Typically, aid is available under the scheme for repairs which would make a dwelling habitable for the lifetime of the occupant. It would be a matter for health boards to assess whether rewiring works would qualify for funding under the scheme taking account of the circumstances of the individual case.
There are also a number of other options currently available to assist lower income households and elderly persons in particular to secure necessary improvement works to their houses. These include the local authority house improvement loan scheme and the improvement works in lieu of local authority housing scheme.
