Repayment conditions
Where indicated, those types of housing assistance that require repayment will be registered as a local land charge on completion of the assistance. No interest on the original assistance will be charged. This will ensure that assistance is recycled to fund future assistance.
The following conditions apply to applications for assistance under this policy:
- If the Council becomes aware that the applicant(s) was not actually entitled to the assistance at the time when the assistance was agreed then no further payments of assistance shall be paid. The Council may demand re-payment of the assistance already paid together with interest, at a reasonable rate determined by the Council.
- If an owner of the dwelling to which an application relates ceases to be the owner before the works are completed, they shall repay to the Council on demand the amount of assistance that has been paid.
- If an owner of the dwelling to which an application relates ceases to be the owner within the specified condition period the Council may demand repayment of the relevant amount of assistance that has been paid to the applicant.
- If the owner of the dwelling to which the application relates ceases to be the owner within the required condition period due to their death the condition period will continue to be in force if the property is occupied by one of the beneficiaries.
- For landlord assistance if the owner of the dwelling to which the application relates ceases to let the dwelling in accordance with the agreed period the Council may demand repayment of the amount of assistance that has been paid.
- Where the assistance is to fund an interest payment on a loan scheme agreed by the Council, should the applicant default on a loan payment the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health in consultation with the Director of Finance and the loan provider will determine whether to demand the repayment of the interest; as specified in the agreement between the Council and the loan provider.
Where the Council has the right to demand repayment but there are extenuating circumstances, for example where the financial circumstances of the applicant are such that chasing the debt would cause severe hardship, they may determine not to demand repayment or to demand a lesser amount. This decision will be made by the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health in consultation with the Director of Finance.