My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Extensions to provide for ground floor bathrooms and bedrooms can also be supported. The detailed administration of this scheme including assessment, approval and prioritisation of applications is the responsibility of local authorities.
My Department provides capital funding to Local Authorities for Improvement Works in Lieu of local authority housing (IWILs) to enable them to repair, improve or extend privately owned houses that are occupied or will be occupied by approved housing applicants as an alternative to the provision of local authority housing. The scheme may also be used to improve private houses intended for occupation by a person surrendering a local authority house.
My Department's approach every year, in the first instance, is to allow local authorities complete works up to 65% of the previous year’s allocation in the absence of formal approval to keep this important work going. Following this and based on the actual need of the sector, my Department issues a single full year allocation to each local authority, so they can plan, prioritise and implement the programme to carry out the varying works necessary to meet the needs of their tenants in this year. Furthermore local authorities can apply for additional funding for emergency cases as they arise throughout the year.
