Linked fire alarm help for low-income home-owners in Caithness

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Low income home-owners, those who have disabilities and pensioners in Caithness may be able to get help to supply and install interlinked fire alarms in their homes. In addition, some families on low incomes who have children with disabilities may be able to get this help too.

To be eligible for this assistance, owners require to meet the following primary priority criteria:

• You must live in and own your home.
• Your home must be Council Tax band A, B, or C

And in addition, thereafter, you need to fall into one of these three groups – either be an:

a. Older low income household, for example:

• you must be of State Pension age (65+) and in receipt of the Guaranteed-Element of Pension Credit,
• and you must have no-one in your household who is earning.

OR

b. Low income household with disabilities, for example:

• you must have a disability and be in a support group for Employment and Support Allowance or be on Universal Credit with the ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’ component (LCWRA component).
• and you must have no-one in your household who is earning.

OR

c. Low income family with a child with disabilities, for example:

• you must be receiving Child Disability Living Allowance or the Child Scottish Disability Payment

If you are in one of these three priority groups, you can apply through the short and simple online application form. The online form can be found on the Highland Council website at www.highland.gov.uk/firealarmgrant. The website also includes information and advice.

Chair of the Housing and Property Committee, councillor Glynis Campbell-Sinclair, said: “We hope to help over 600 low income home-owners through this partnership between The Highland Council, Scottish Government and three of Highland’s Care and Repair agents. It fits with our overall aim to help homeowners live independently, and safely, in a home of their own for as long as possible.”

Applications can only be made online. If you don’t have access to a digital device, or if you are struggling to get online, you can get someone else to fill out the form for you. The council’s Welfare Support Team can support households to apply for benefits and other entitlements. The Welfare Support Team can be contacted by telephoning 0800 090 1004 or emailing welfare.support@highland.gov.uk.

Successful applicants will get interlinked fire alarms supplied and installed.

If you are a council or housing association tenant, your landlord is responsible for installing your alarms. This work is underway across the Highland.

Linked fire alarms can help to save lives and they also help to make sure owners meet with the new building standards requirements.

If you meet the criteria and need this help, you are encouraged to apply as quickly as possible as the grant funding is limited. The fund will close to new applicants once the money runs out. Low-income households who are in the greatest need are the highest priority and applying for help does not guarantee a successful application.

Successful applicants will be contacted by the installer covering their area. The council anticipates a high demand. It may take some time for each install to be done.

As they are covering such a vast area, the plan is for work to be carried out across Highland over the next nine months – the aim is to have all installs completed by March 2023.

If you are successful, you may need to wait some months. Please do not call the Highland Council or the Care and Repair services to check on progress as no work can be done until referrals are processed.

If you are not successful, or if you apply but don’t meet the criteria, you will be told as soon as possible so that you can make your own arrangements.

You can only apply using the online form on the Highland Council’s website. The website also includes information and advice. Note that Service Centre staff are not able to take calls or answer questions in relation to this scheme.

If you are a home-owner and you don’t qualify but you are struggling, find out if there is any other assistance in your community. Some Community Development Trusts are providing help for people living in their local area.

If you are a private tenant your property should already have interlinked fire alarms. Your landlord should have provided this. If not, speak to your landlord. Find out more here: www.mygov.scot/home-fire-safety/tenants-private

More information on new smoke and heat alarm regulations is available here: www.mygov.scot/home-fire-safety

Details of the Scottish Government awareness campaign can be found at www.gov.scot/news/changes-to-fire-safety-laws/

Application Form: Apply and find out more here – www.highland.gov.uk/firealarmgrant

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