Latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS)currently provides a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic consumers. This includes public sector organisations, voluntary sector organisations like charities, and businesses.

The scheme came into effect on 1 October 2022 and was always intended to run until 31 March 2023.

The EBRS was designed as a temporary 6-month measure to protect non-domestic consumers from soaring energy costs, cutting the cost of power bills and providing them with the certainty they needed to plan through the acute crisis this winter.

In light of this, the significant intervention was brought in to help keep people in jobs, prevent unnecessary insolvencies and afford breathing space for businesses to identify measures that protect themselves from high energy costs.

The government has been clear that such levels of support were time-limited and intended as a bridge to allow businesses to adapt. The latest data shows wholesale gas prices have now fallen to levels that applied just before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and have almost halved since the current scheme was announced.

The new scheme therefore strikes a balance between supporting businesses over the next 12 months and limiting taxpayers’ exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion based on estimated volumes.

The EBDS will run for 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

The amount your bills will be reduced

As per the current scheme the government will provide a discount on your gas and electricity unit prices. Eligible non-domestic consumers will now receive a per-unit discount to their energy bills during the 12-month period from April 2023 to March 2024, subject to a maximum discount. The relative discount will be applied if wholesale prices are above a certain price threshold. For most non-domestic energy users in Great Britain and Northern Ireland these maximum discounts have been set at:

• electricity – £19.61 per megawatt hour (MWh) with a price threshold of £302 per MWh.
• gas – £6.97 per MWh with a price threshold of £107 per MWh

For full details on the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, please go to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bills-discount-scheme

posted 6 March 2023

Latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

As a result of the latest government action to improve standards and improve the lives of social housing residents, Regulated Social Housing Managers will now need a professional qualification to manage properties.

• Professional qualifications are now to be made mandatory for social housing managers, ensuring residents receive a high-quality service and rapidly professionalise the sector
• Part of the Social Housing (Regulations) Bill which will give Regulator tough new powers to hold landlords to account

It was announced by Housing Secretary, Michael Gove (26 Feb 23) that Social Housing managers must gain professional qualifications under new rules to protect residents and raise standards in the sector.

Around 25,000 managers across the sector will now be required to have an appropriate level housing management qualification regulated by OfQual equivalent to a Level 4 or 5 Certificate or Diploma in Housing, or a foundation degree from the Chartered Institute of Housing.

The changes will be made through amendments to the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill which will drive up standards in the sector and hold landlords to account over the service they provide to their tenants. The Bill will also give the Regulator tough new powers – allowing them to enter properties with only 48 hours’ notice and make emergency repairs with landlords footing the bill.

It follows Awaab’s Law, introduced earlier this year in the wake of the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, which will force social landlords to fix damp and mould within strict time limits.

“Today’s new requirements will professionalise and drive the culture change needed in the sector, ensuring residents receive a high level of service and are treated with respect at all times. While many managers already provide a high quality professional service, not all do. This will ensure that all managers have the skills and qualifications they need.”

This aspect of the Social Housing Bill was announced yesterday and there is currently no detail about what that would look like or how appropriate it would be to managing a small group of almshouses. Generally, we see any additional knowledge as a good thing but until we see the detail will reserve judgement about how relevant it is to our members.

The new CPD accredited Almshouse Trustee and Clerk Training, ‘The Almshouse Way’, which is based on the latest edition of Standards of Almshouse Management, may be a way of offering the Regulator of Social Housing satisfaction that our members are being trained specifically in relation to the management of homes within the charity context. It may be that the professional qualification they refer to in their press release, as yet unspecified, will be a really valuable qualification. However, as the Regulator of Social Housing is designed for Housing Associations managing over 1,000 units it may be geared towards data gathering and mass building management. The Almshouse Association will monitor and report to members.

posted 27 February 23

Charity Commission launches a new push on trustee guides as sector faces challenging year with ‘Here to help’ 5-minute guides, raising awareness of core trustee duties.

The Charity Commission’s latest research shows that just 7 out of 10 trustees answered basic role requirements correctly – demonstrating a knowledge gap that could lead to unintentional governance failings. Their 5-minute guides act as a core syllabus offering trustees engaging, informative content covering the basics all trustees should know. The Commission encourages trustees to refresh their knowledge and fill any gaps so that they can best serve their charities – and those who rely on them.

The core suite of 5-minute guides covers advice on the following subject areas (click on the links to access):

• Delivering purpose – how to use your charity’s governing document, how to deliver on your charity’s purposes and the law.
• Managing finances – how to ensure your charity’s money is safe, properly used and accounted for.
• Conflicts of interest – how to identify and deal with conflicts of interest in your charity.
• Making decisions – advice on how to make valid trustee decisions that are in your charity’s best interests.
• Reporting information – how and what you need to report to the Commission.
• Safeguarding people – your responsibilities to keep everyone who comes into contact with your charity safe from harm.
• Political activity & campaigning – charities that want to support, or oppose, a change in government policy or the law.

Each guide is accompanied by a video (apart from Political activity and campaigning) which can be accessed by clicking on the video screenshots below:

Full Charity Commission press release can be accessed here:
‘Here to help’: Commission launches new push on trustee guides as sector faces challenging year – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

posted 7 February 2023

Ombudsman issues evaluation of responses to damp and mould report as complaints continue to rise

2 February 2023

“The Housing Ombudsman has provided an analysis of responses from landlords to the Spotlight report one year on and proposed ten ‘key tests’ for landlords who are producing action plans, as the sector reflects on the inquest into the death of Awaab Ishak and the continued influx of damp and mould cases.

We have issued an updated damp and mould report, alongside an evaluation of how landlords responded to the recommendations made almost sixteen months ago and reflecting the renewed focus on damp and mould after the inquest into the death of Awaab Ishak.

It comes as we recorded a 77% increase (3,530) in the number of enquiries and complaints and damp, mould and leaks from 2020-21 to 2021-22. So far this year there have been 3,969 enquiries and complaints.

Building on the Spotlight report, which has been downloaded over 5,000 times since publication, we have identified ten key tests for governing bodies to evaluate its organisation’s response to damp and mould, and highlighted areas that need continued focus: legal proceedings, fairness, good governance and continued learning.

The tests in this report should be used to help respond to the 26 in the original Spotlight report and the sector should use this as a framework for conducting a self-assessment and creating an action plan.

Analysing the response from various landlords from across the country we found that, following the Spotlight report, 35% of them now have a specific damp and mould policy with streamlined processes for identifying and responding to damp and mould reports. A further 12% said they were in the process of implementing one.

There was also plenty of good practice detailed, including installing sensors, carrying out property MOTs, and undertaking root cause analysis modelling and staff training.

However, there were still areas of concern. Some landlords had removed words such as ‘lifestyle’ from their policies but replaced them with euphemisms such as ‘internal environmental factors’.

And while landlords should use the complaints procedure until legal proceedings have been issued, there continues to be misinterpretation and a lack of clarity around what is meant by legal proceedings.

Some complaints policies exclude matters subject to legal proceedings but are not clear that this does not cover the pre-action protocol. Other policies incorrectly state that legal proceedings means instructing a solicitor and/or issuing a letter before claim.”

Read the report

Open letter to member landlords on damp and mould – November 2022

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “The inquest into the death of Awaab Ishak has focused the minds of the sector. But we are continually finding in our casework that landlords have not responded to this issue with sufficient urgency.

“I welcome the work that many landlords are doing to strengthen their approach following the coroner’s report.  Our Spotlight report and this evaluation are invaluable tools to support that.

“Landlords need to have a sustained focus on culture and behaviours to ensure issues are not dismissed. The human impact and consequence of the creeping normalisation of poor culture was highlighted by the death of Awaab Ishak.

“It is disappointing when we conducted our review how few landlords had acted to implement a dedicated damp and mould policy, despite there being a clear and driving need to have a bespoke response for these reports given the shortcomings identified in our casework.

“The ‘golden thread’ running throughout the Spotlight report recommendations was good governance and continued learning, as it affects both policy and process, as well as front-line delivery.

“I would encourage governing bodies to consider our ten ‘key tests’ when reviewing plans, and for landlords where this is not happening, for them to create an action plan to support a proactive response.

“I know this is now a priority for many landlords, but I would urge senior leaders to go faster and further in their efforts to do what is right by their residents.”

The 10 tests are as follows:

• Find your silence – who’s not using your complaints system and why? Some landlords see high complaints as a bad thing, but high complaints about damp and mould can be a sign that you are open and transparent, and people feel they can complaint
• Proactive communications strategy – Damp and mould cases are out there, and you need to engage with that. But our call for evidence also highlighted that landlords are often doing quite a lot in this space and their residents have no idea. Don’t patronise, don’t be obscure and make sure you use every day terms – the advice needs to be helpful and understandable
• Treat residents fairly – It isn’t their fault they are in a home unsuitable for living or currently in a property that is marked for regeneration/demolition
• Improve record keeping – How can you adopt an intelligence-based front foot if you have no data on what you’re dealing with? How can you ensure that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing if nothing is recorded? We’ll soon be releasing a Spotlight report on this issue for you to engage with
• Know your residents – Occupancy factors may include overcrowding and the availability and use of heating and ventilation systems. They also include individual circumstances such as disability, financial hardship, and health conditions
• Check net zero plans – Electric heating costs more than gas. If you’re net zero strategy is pushing people into hardship, need to make sure you’re making mitigations
• Know your homes – Structural factors include property age, design, and modifications. For example, certain types of properties such as converted street properties, buildings of concrete construction or traditional solid type construction are more susceptible to damp and mould than others
• Dedicated damp and mould strategy – Create one by looking wider than the individual cases. Use your void periods and mutual exchanges too
• Empower staff – if they’re in a property for something else, help them clock the signs. We encourage landlords to consider the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Professional Standards if they have not already done so
• Use the complaints system to learn – Be robust in using the complaints process until such time as proceedings are filed.

Following the release of this guidance, the Housing Ombudsman will be running a webinar on 14 March at 12pm. They will share both good practice and where they are still seeing landlords go wrong on damp and mould. See registration details.

posted 2 February 2023

The Almshouse Association Annual General Meeting

Our seventy-second AGM will take place on 15th June 2023 between 9.30am and 9.45am at 1 Great George Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3AA, prior to the start of Member Day 2023

The Almshouse Association Annual General Meeting covers the main business and accounts of The Almshouse Association and is open to all member charities and Associate Members. The nominated representative for each member charity is invited to cast their vote. One vote per member charity.

• If you would like to attend, please confirm your attendance by emailing admin@almshouses.org
• If you are attending The Almshouse Association Members Day 2023, you do not need to confirm your attendance to the AGM
• If you are unable to attend, but wish to make a proxy vote, please email admin@almshouses.org

AGENDA – click here to download invitation and agenda

• Reflection on 2022
• Acceptance of Minutes of the seventy-first Almshouse Association AGM held on Wednesday 15 June 2022 9.45-10.10am at Grand Station, Sun Street, Wolverhampton WV10 0BF.
• Election of Board Members (Article 32 states that each Board member can serve for a maximum of three terms of three years then must retire and seek reappointment through voting procedure).
• Presentation and Adoption of the 2022 Annual Report and Accounts (these will be posted here when finalised)
• Appointment of Auditor
• Any Other Business

posted 30 January 23

The Almshouse Association’s response to the Government consultation Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Reforms to the National Planning Policy.

A once in a decade opportunity to address a gross imbalance of opportunity for almshouse charities; The Secretary of State has opened a consultation to review aspects of the Levelling up Bill and has asked us directly if we will respond to an issue that we have been driving for change, Section 106.

Many members will have heard Almshouse Association CEO Nick Phillips challenge government departments on the wording of the eligible affordable housing aspect of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) surrounding section 106. Currently, the definition of “affordable housing” excludes almshouse charities unless registered as Regulated Social Housing (a regulation that brings its own challenges).

In this consultation paper the Secretary of State has identified our concerns and we feel it is absolutely right that we take this opportunity to respond vigorously and clearly to change the definition of affordable housing to include almshouses.

Please see our draft response here and I would welcome any feedback before we officially issue our response on 25 February 2023.

Success – review of Sec 32 Social Housing Bill.

The Association has just received confirmation concerning the terms of clause 32 of The Social Housing Bill where it was stated that the Regulator may take action in the case of charities that are not Registered Providers. It has been confirmed that this will now only affect Regulated Housing Providers and NOT charities that are simply trusts and are non-registered.

This is a great relief for many members; not that they fear the Regulator interests, rather that they fear loss of their independent charity status.

We would like to thank all parties in helping making this “clarification” in the amended Bill.

posted 30 January 2023

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government has been busy in the New Year. We are currently responding to a number of key consultations and papers from DLUC.

• Social Housing and Regeneration Bill – Reforms are being introduced to the National Planning Policy Framework. As many of you will have found, the NPPF guidance includes a definition of affordable housing that excludes the almshouse model. Interestingly, The Almshouse Association is referenced in the bill! It is encouraging that Association members and our supporters in the APPG, together with the team here, have been able to make we have made our concerns apparent, although there is still work to be done and we will be responding clearly and robustly on your behalf seeking amendments to the affordable housing definition to include almshouses. 
• We are continuing our dialogue with The Regulator of Social Housing, DLUC and the Charity Commission with regards to our concerns about the Social Housing and Regeneration Bill, the requirement for almshouses seeking funding from Homes England to become Regulated (RSL) and the increasing processes around regulation. We will, of course, keep you updated on progress on all matters.

Standards of Almshouse Management

The 2023 version of The Almshouse Association Standards of Almshouse Management has now been published and can be accessed here. We consulted with The Charity Commission, the Regulator of Social Housing and The National Housing Federation on the contents of the manual, all of whom have responded positively and their feedback has been invaluable.

Historic England

Historic England has completed the first draft of the guidance note on almshouses. The guidance is aimed at Historic Building Officers and almshouse managers, and we hope to be able to share the draft and seek further comments from members shortly. We are very grateful to Historic England, Association members and our team of architects and surveyors on our Panel of Consultants for providing their expertise and hands-on experience in the collation of this guidance.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 25 January 2025

The Energy Bills Support Scheme – £400 Non-payable Discount to Eligible Households to Help with Energy Bills.

We have been asked to remind members of the important government update with regards to guidance on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the requirement to pass on support to residents.

The following links apply:

• Guidance on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme pass-through requirements for heat networks in the UK – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Guidance on the pass-through requirements for energy price support provided to intermediaries – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Posted 23 January 2023

£3 million available for charities and community groups through Ofgem Energy Redress Scheme

Deadline for applications: 5pm on 30^th January 2023

The Ofgem Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme (Energy Redress Scheme) is open for the third funding round of phase two of the scheme.

A total of £3 million is available as grants to charities and community energy groups that support households most at risk from cold homes and high energy bills, or that work on innovation and carbon emissions reduction across England, Scotland and Wales.

Ofgem’s enforcement and compliance activity collects voluntary payments from companies that may have breached Ofgem administered rules.

Energy Saving Trust manages the allocation of payments for the scheme, which has been in place for four years.

The priorities of the scheme are to support energy consumers in vulnerable situations, develop innovative products or services and empower consumers to reduce their carbon emissions.

To December 2022, the Energy Redress Scheme has funded 404 projects across England, Scotland and Wales and awarded over £55.8 million in funding. These projects have included:

• Impartial energy advice services supporting vulnerable people.
• Using digital media to engage (hard-to-reach) audiences with energy issues and give them information about the support that is available to them.
• Research projects aimed at ensuring that the needs of elderly people and disabled people are met by new energy technologies.
• Boosting the supply chain of retrofit professionals and uptake of whole-house retrofits.
• Trialling new business models or interventions to enable households to use more locally generated energy.

Charities can apply for grants to deliver energy related projects through four different funding streams. Funding is also open to community energy groups, including community interest companies, co-operative societies and community benefit societies. These groups can apply to either the Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund or the Innovation Fund.

• The Main Fund contains £1.9 million. This is aimed at projects seeking grants between £50,000 and £300,000 that will support households in vulnerable situations.
• The Small Project Fund contains £200,000. This is aimed at projects seeking grants between £20,000 and £49,999 that will support households in vulnerable situations.
• The Innovation Fund contains £450,000. This is aimed at projects that will develop innovative products or services to benefit households. Applicants can apply for grants between £20,000 and £200,000.
• The Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund contains £450,000. This is aimed at projects that will reduce UK carbon emissions and empower households to reduce their carbon footprint. Applicants can apply for grants between £20,000 and £200,000.

There are 1,161 organisations already registered with the Energy Redress Scheme that can apply to the open rounds.

Organisations that have not yet registered with the scheme must do so 10 working days before the closure of the relevant fund to allow time for eligibility checks to take place. The deadline for applications is 5.00pm on 30 January 2023.

Further information on the scheme and the application process can be found at energyredress.org.uk  

Posted 17 January 2023