The recent credit crunch is making life more difficult to manage for most people in Fife and this is higWighted by the increase of Home Owners who are now registered with our service. Customers are worried about meeting financial commitments and the long wait on social rented housing to meet needs seems to be never ending, particularly if the requirement is for a larger wheelchair accessible property. The Disabled Persons Housing Service Fife continue to produce community profile reports for the development team at Fife Council from the information we have on our database of people in housing need. It is beneficial to be registered with this service to ensure that your details of housing need are highlighted to the services that can make a difference. Should any customers believe they are entering into a position where they feel they can no longer make their mortgage payments please get in touch with us, there are schemes backed by the Scottish Government that may be able to assist you.
The increase demand for social rented housing has understandably added to the already high need in Fife and from our increase of customers this can mean a long wait for suitable housing to meet needs. From Wendy, DPHS(F)
SCHEMES TO HELP HOMEOWNERS
Have you heard about the Government schemes to help home owners? There have been recent adjustments made to these schemes to help home owners who are disabled and having financial difficulty. Leaflets on these schemes are available from DPHS(F) and we can tell you the next steps to take if you are interested and want to know if you are eligible for support:
The Mortgage to Rent Scheme aims to help owner occupiers who are in financial difficulty and in danger of being made homeless. The scheme helps by enabling households who are eligible to remain in their home by selling it to a social landlord - normally a local authority or housing association - and becoming a tenant of that landlord.
The Mortgage to Shared Equity Scheme is aimed at helping owner occupiers who are in financial difficulty and have at least 25 per cent equity in their home to retain ownership of their home by Scottish Ministers taking an equity stake in the property.
DPHS(Fife) has been asked to give some feedback to Scottish Government on these schemes. Have you heard about them? Do you think they could help you or someone you know? If you think they can't help .... why not? We would be grateful if you could answer only 3 questions on an online survey and this would ensure our customer feedback is included in our response. It is anonymous and can be found on our website: www.dphsfife.org.uk
FEEDBACK SURVEYS:
If you would like to give feedback but do not have access to the internet then please phone the office and we will do this online with you over the telephone - you don't have to give your name and we will not keep a note of your responses. Alternatively we can arrange for one of our volunteers to give you a ring back to complete this and if you'd like to do this then please leave a message with your contact details and you will get a ring back to complete the survey/so A copy of the survey questions is enclosed for your use. Thank you.
LIFT - Help For first Time Buyers and For Disabled People Whose Circumstances have Changed:
Are you also aware that a new government scheme to assist people to purchase a house also applies to disabled people - and as a disabled person you do not have to be a first time buyer but simply show that the property you currently own no longer meets your needs. DPHS(F) has leaflets available if you want to read more about this scheme of buying a house on the open market with help from the government. DPHS (F) staff have also received training in this scheme.
Again, was this something you had heard about or did you think it might not apply to disabled people? We'd like your responses and it would help Scottish Government to know how to improve these schemes. You can give feedback via an anonymous survey on our website: www.dphsfife.org.uk
The above information was from The disabled Persons Housing Service Fife News Letter 3rd Edition 2009 www.dphsfife.org.uk |
