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House Improvement Adaptations Scheme (HIAS)

About the Scheme

The House Improvement Adaptations Scheme (HIAS) allows the Department of Infrastructure to provide grants and interest free loans towards specialist equipment and structural adaptations to your home, enabling you to remain in your own home, living independently for as long as possible.

Funding is subject to a clinical assessment by the Occupational Therapy Service of Manx Care. You will also be financially assessed and your home will be subject to feasibility assessment, to ensure the property can accommodate the changes needed.

Am I Eligible?

The scheme is available to homeowners and in certain circumstances, to private rental and public sector tenants.

To qualify for financial support for making adaptations to your home you must;

  • be a person, or parent/ carer of a person, who is classified as disabled under Section 7 of the Equality Act,
  • have lived on the island for a minimum of 5 consecutive years at the point of application,
  • have a gross income (including that of your spouse, civil partner, or partner) not exceeding £60,000 per annum, and
  • have no outstanding tax or national insurance liabilities

Private sector rental tenants:

Assistance can be provided to a tenant of a private residential property provided that there is a current tenancy agreement with an unexpired term remaining of not less than 12 months. Your landlord consent to carry out the works will also be required.

Public Sector Housing tenants:

Public Sector Housing landlords are required to consider minor adaptation requests only which fall under Schedule 1 of the Scheme (detailed within ‘Works covered under the Scheme’). In cases where an application requires a more advanced adaptation, the public sector landlord is required to consider whether they can find alternative suitable accommodation for their tenant, or whether the adaptation needed will be suitable for future tenants.

Works covered under the Scheme

Type of works for which assistance may be available:

Schedule 1 Supply and Installation of Equipment – Part A

(Private rental & Public sector tenants can apply for works in Schedule 1 subject to their landlord's consent)

Permitted works

  1. Supply and installation of stair lift.
  2. Provision of modular ramping of 2 or more sections which are surface mounted.

Schedule 2 Supply and Installation of Equipment – Part B

Permitted works

  1. Supply and installation of specialist bathroom fittings to include w.c. and/or bathing facilities.
  2. Supply and installation of specialist kitchen fittings including; Rise and fall sinks; Rise and fall kitchen units and works surfaces.
  3. Supply and installation of automatic door openers.
  4. Provision of ceiling tracking.

Schedule 3 Adaptations

Permitted works

  1. Provision of permanent structural ramping to provide access to the premises where this cannot be achieved by modular or removable ramping equipment.
  2. Provision of through floor lift.
  3. Provision of additional accessible bedroom space to include all specified fixtures and fittings.
  4. Provision of additional bathroom facilities to include all specified fixtures and fittings.
  5. Works of a substantial nature for the redesign of the eligible premises to provide accessible living space to include 2 or more items from Schedule 2.

Equipment provided under the Scheme is owned by the applicant. The Department is not responsible for ongoing repairs, maintenance or removal.

Available assistance

Applicants with taxable incomes up to £15,000

(Taxable income is the amount of your income which exceeds your personal taxation allowances)

Non repayable unsecured grant funding is available up to £6,000.

Interest free grant funding is available from £250 up to £15,000 with any balance above £6,000 being secured on the property.

Secured grants over £6000 are repayable when the property is sold or otherwise disposed of.

Loan assistance up to £30,000 (or £50,000 in cases of exceptional need) can be provided as an interest free loan secured on the property (for funding over £6000) over a term of up to 25 years. Monthly repayments must be made for any loan funding awarded.

Group 2: Applicant's income exceeding taxable income of £15,000 but is less than £60,000

Unsecured interest free loan funding can be provided up to £6,000. Loans above £6,000 are secured on the property can be provided interest free over a term of up to 25 years up to a maximum limit of £30,000 (or £50,000 in exceptional need). Monthly repayments must be made for any loan funding awarded.

Applicants are expected to contribute 50% towards the costs of authorised works but this can be a lesser percentage in cases of special need. Where they are in a position to do so applicants are expected to contribute what they can over and above the 50% contribution required in most cases. The first £13,000 of any additional funds available to the applicant can be discounted in the calculation of any extra contribution.

How to apply for assistance

If you think you may be eligible for specialist equipment or an adaptation in your home and wish to apply for financial assistance under the Scheme, the first step is to contact Occupational Therapy to arrange for a clinical assessment to be carried out.

Community Adult Therapy

Tel: +44 1624 642511

Children’s Therapy Service

Tel: +44 1624 642563

If Occupational Therapy agree that there is a requirement for specialist equipment and/or adaptations to be installed in your home, they will complete and forward an assessment form to the HIAS team for processing. Upon receipt of the request the HIAS team will forward an application form to the applicant which should be completed and returned to our offices for processing.

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