Housing - care and repair scheme

Taking the stress out of home repairs for older people

We have two services for older people to help take the stress out of doing home repairs and larger home improvement projects...

• The Home Improvement Agency Service
• The Handyperson Service.

The Home Improvement Agency Service

Our Home Improvement Agency Service offers advice on home repairs or improvements and tells older people how much they will cost. It gives peace of mind knowing that they are getting a reasonable price for larger works done to a Council-inspected standard by reliable contractors.

Who can use the service?

You need to be:

• living in Derby
• aged 60 and over or under 60 and getting Disability Living Allowance
• a homeowner or renting privately with responsibility for maintaining the property.

Why use the service?

We:

• carry out a survey of the repairs/improvements you need and get estimates for how much they will cost
• check if you qualify for any grants, loans or funding
• put you in touch with a reliable contractor
• monitor the repairs or improvements as they are carried out
• help at every stage until the repairs or improvement are finished
• point you to other Council services that may help you, such as welfare benefits advice.

What type of repairs and improvements does the service cover?

The Service covers:

• minor repairs and electrical rewiring
• central heating installations
• replacement bathroom and kitchens
• roofing work
• damp proof course and dry rot treatment
• drainage repairs
• replacement windows, double glazing.

The Handyperson Service

Our Handyperson Service helps older people to deal with those small jobs around the house that pile up but they never get round to dealing with.

Who can use the service?

You need to be:

• living in Derby
• aged 75 and over or
• aged 60 and over and getting income-related benefits (like Council Tax Benefit) or health-related benefits (like Attendance Allowance) .

Why use the service?

• We only use our own handypeople to carry out the work.
• We charge only for the materials needed to do the job and there are no labour charges.
• We will discuss any costs for materials (like new taps) with you before the job is done.

What types of jobs does the service cover?

We can do small jobs around the home including:

• changing a light bulb
• cleaning gutters and drains
• assembling small flatpack furniture
• putting shelves up
• repairing toilet cisterns
• adjusting overflow
• replacing taps or tap washers
• unblocking sinks
• any other odd job around the home
• fit extra locks on windows and doors.

Contact us to discuss how the Home Improvement Agency Service or Handyperson Service can help older people.