Housing
Grants Community Alarm and Registered Traders Scheme
Independent Living Fund Equipment
The council
provides a comprehensive housing advice service to anyone who lives or wants to
live in
Housing Services
Centenary
House
St.
Mary’s Street,
Telephone:
01480 388222 or 388223
Open Mon-Thurs
Fri
Web: www.huntsdc.gov.uk/Housing
This is a
national registered charity offering free, confidential and independent advice
on all housing problems. It operates a telephone helpline providing housing
advice and a website with practical information on how to deal with housing
issues and what your rights are:
Shelter
88 Old Street
Tel: 0845 458
4590 (general enquiries)
Free Housing
Advice
Shelternet:
www.shelter.org.uk E-mail: info@shelter.org.uk
A system of
housing grants/interest-free loans is available to disabled people living in
Pathfinder
House, St. Mary’s Street,
Telephone:
01480 388238
This grant is
designed to provide essential facilities in the homes of disabled people to
give them more independence. It may be available to both home owners or tenants
and can be awarded to the landlords of disabled tenants. There will need to be
an assessment and recommendation by a County Council occupational therapist to
establish the aid and/or adaptations required. The disabled person’s own
financial resources will be considered to determine their contribution.
Contact the
Repair Assistance
Repair
assistance helps homeowners on low incomes to carry out essential repairs. For
most people the repair assistance award will be in the form of an interest-free
loan secured on the property. No monthly repayments have to be made – the
loan is not paid back until the property is eventually sold. The type of work
you want help to carry out can be large or small but it should be of a serious
and/or urgent nature. To find out more about repair assistance please telephone
the private housing section a
The Warm Front Team
The Warm Front
Team is a government-funded scheme which provides grants to make the home warmer,
healthier and more energy-efficient. Warm Front Grants are for people who own
or privately rent their home and are on certain benefits. They are available to
people who are over 60, or have children under 16, are pregnant, disabled or
have a long-term illness. A leaflet including an application form is available
by phoning Freephone: 0800 316 2814 (Textphone 0800 072 0156) or write to:
Eaga Partnership
Limited
Eaga
House
Archbold
Terrace
Jesmond
Newcastle upon
Tyne
NE2 1DB
Web: www.warmfront.co.uk E-mail: enquiry@eaga.com
Community Alarm (LifeLine) Back to Top
The Luminus Group (formerly
If you would
like to find out more information concerning this service telephone 01480
428562
Registered Traders Scheme
The Cambridgeshire Registered Traders Scheme is a list of
traders who have been Police checked and Trading Standards audited to ensure
the safety of vulnerable members of the community. Anyone living in Cambridgeshire who is over 60 or has a physical or learning
disability is eligible to use the service. The scheme will put you in touch
with a wide range of traders who can perform most tasks around the home.
For more
information call Age Concern Cambridgeshire on 01354 696677 or 01354 696650 or see
the council website here.
The
Independent Living Fund is a trust set up and financed by central government.
Its aim is to support long term, independent living for severely disabled
people by helping them to live at home instead of in residential care. The fund
works closely with the County Council.
To
receive help you must meet all of the following criteria:
The Fund
can pay up to a maximum of £455 per week on top of Social Services input and
your assessed contribution (subject to the combined SSD and ILF input not
exceeding £785pw).
You do not have to
receive Income Support to qualify for an award from the Fund, but your income,
and that of your partner if you have one (excluding any earned income) will be
considered in any assessment.
Before
applying, a disabled person must ensure that they meet all of the criteria and
discuss with their social worker the extra care needed. Applications forms are
available from the County Council or directly from the fund:
Independent
Living Funds
Telephone:
0845 601 8815
Fax: 0115 945
0945 Textphone:
0845 601 8816
Web: www.ilf.org.uk Email: funds@ilf.org.uk
Suitably
adapted or specialised equipment is a key factor in
enabling a disabled person to live as independently as possible. The range of items
is large and is divided broadly into two types: items for daily living and
healthcare equipment, although some items may serve a dual purpose. Some
gadgets and equipment designed solely for people with disabilities are zero
rated for VAT. These include medical and surgical appliances, specialised equipment such as lifts and hoists and certain
building adaptations. Further advice on the procedure for claiming this
concession is available from DISH or your local VAT office.
These include
items in the home to improve the safety, comfort and convenience of a disabled
person and make it easier to use cooking facilities, to wash, dress, use the
toilet etc. You can seek initial advice from your occupational therapist,
physiotherapist, district nurse, health visitor or GP. Ask for an assessment of
your needs as a disabled person or carer. An
occupational therapist or social worker will then decide whether and what to
provide by assessing your needs against their eligibility criteria. Equipment
provided by the County Council is generally considered to be on long-term loan.
To contact an
Occupational Therapist call the County Council’s Contact Centre,
As part of its
Buying Your Own Equipment
The range of
items is large so don’t buy anything without getting expert advice and,
if possible, using the equipment on a trial basis to see if it will work for
you. Some companies may let you use equipment for a trial period, but you can
also view and try out a large range of aids and adaptations at your local
Disability Living Centre and receive advice on stockists
and costs.
Pendrill
Court
Papworth Everard
Cambs
CB23 3UY
Telephone:
01480 830495
By appointment
only: 10 am- 4 pm Mon-Fri
Under the
National Heath Service, wheelchairs are supplied and maintained free of charge to
a disabled person whose need for such a chair is permanent. A wheelchair
voucher scheme is in operation to help people buy a wheelchair of their choice.
A voucher may be issued to the value of the wheelchair the NHS would have
provided. This can then be used towards the cost of a more expensive
wheelchair, the service user paying the balance of the cost.
Anyone who
thinks they may need a wheelchair should be referred to the local NHS
Wheelchair Centre for assessment via the Community Occupational Therapy and
Specialist Wheelchair Therapists. The NHS trust can supply indoor/outdoor
electric powered wheelchairs if you are assessed as needing one. Alternatively,
if you are receiving the higher rate of the mobility component of DLA, you can
put this towards the Motability Hire Purchase Scheme
to fund an electric wheelchair of your choice.
Pendrill
Court
Papworth Everard
Cambs
CB23 3UY
Telephone:
01480 830495
0845 456 4566
The main
statutory providers of equipment for disabled people are the local authority
Social Services department and the NHS. However, the Employment Service may
provide equipment needed for work and schools or local education authorities
can provide equipment needed for education. Some local and national voluntary organisations help with equipment by loaning or hiring it
out or by providing information or a grant for its purchase. DISH can advise on
further on the organisations below and others:
Web: www.dlf.org.uk Email (General): info@dlf.org.uk
A national charity providing information and impartial advice on special
equipment available, stockists and costs.
Telephone:
01480 453629
Open Mon Wed
Thurs Fri
Cemetery Road
St Neots PE19 2BX
Telephone:
01480 453629
Provide a
range of medical equipment on a short-term loan basis including wheelchairs,
commodes, toilet seats and perching stools.
Tel: 0845 130
0456
A voluntary organisation producing and designing individual devices for
people for whom normal commercial products are not suitable.
St Barnabas Furniture Project
Stukeley
Meadows
PE29 6EF
Tel 01480
437755
Office open Tues & Thur
Viewing/Buying Wed & Fri
This project sells
affordable furniture to local people who are in receipt of state benefits or on
a low income. Clients need a referral form obtainable
from the Social Services, CAB or Freemans of
Buying and Selling Second Hand Equipment:
The Disability
Equipment Register
Yate
Tel 01454
318818
Website: www.disabilityequipment.org.uk E-mail: disabreg@blueyonder.co.uk
The Disability
Equipment Register website lists second-hand equipment for sale and wanted. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves that the equipment being
offered for sale meets current safety standards, and is the property of the
vendor/seller. Any contract is between the buyer and the seller.