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

• Guidance for members operating heat networks – The government has outlined how members operating heat networks must ‘pass-through’ the savings made through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
  
  There are certain requirements for members which include:
  
  • Informing all your heat network customers how and when savings will be passed onto them. Savings must be passed on by 30 November 2022, or within 30 days of receiving the discounted prices from your energy supplier. To help with this, you will find a template letter here.
  • Registering with the Energy Ombudsman for the redress scheme. More information will be found on the Energy Ombudsman website. Heat suppliers can also contact heatnetworks@beis.gov.uk for more information on the redress scheme.
    
    You can find further guidance on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme pass-through requirements for heat networks here, including how to inform customers and calculating the pass through.
    
    If you are benefitting from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme on your commercial electricity supply, used for communal areas (lighting, lifts, security doors, etc.), these savings also need to be passed through to customers. In these cases where you are acting as an intermediary, there is guidance for intermediaries. The deadline for the notification is 30 days from the benefit being provided to the intermediary.

• Former Housing Minister Appointed as Charities Minister – Short-lived housing minister Stuart Andrews MP has been appointed as charities minister by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
  
  The Association will be in touch with Mr Andrews and hope that in his new role he can champion and protect the charitable status of almshouse charities in government.
  
  Lucy Frazer MP has also now been announced as the new housing minister. The Association has written to Mrs Frazer to ask for her support.

• Housing Ombudsman Issues Call for Evidence on Poor Record Keeping – The Housing Ombudsman has issued a call for evidence to support its next systemic investigation which will look at record keeping and data management. This has been a consistent theme found by the Ombudsman in its casework with 67% of investigations upheld in 2021-22 involving poor records.
  
  Complaint handlers are invited to submit evidence which will help the Ombudsman make recommendations that promote greater understanding of the importance of information and knowledge management.
  
  You can submit evidence here until December 23^rd 2022.

• Government Confirms Support for Oil Heating – Households that don’t use main gas – such as homes with heating oil, LPG or biomass boilers – will get an additional £100 to help with energy bills this winter, on top of the £400 you’ll get from your electricity supplier.
  
  The Government has now confirmed this money will come from your electricity supplier, and will be added to your energy account as bill credit, but it hasn’t said when yet. It has also said that if you don’t have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, you’ll still get the payment, though it has yet to announce how this will be paid.
  
  The Association will provide further updates when we know more.

CHARITY COMMISSION

Setting up ‘My Charity Commission Account’ – ‘My Charity Commission Account’ is a new way for trustees and charity contacts to access the Charity Commission’s online services. It can also be used by other people you have authorised, such as your accountant or lawyer.

The Commission has published guidance to help trustees get set up on the new system which can be found here.

FUNDING

CAF opens Keystone Fund for small charities – The Keystone Fund aims to enable locally and regionally focused charities working towards social equity to become more agile in their support for their communities. It provides a programme of unrestricted grants, networking and access to advice webinars and toolkits.

Grants available:

• Unrestricted grants, intended to enable charitable organisations in the UK to adapt ways of working, strengthen capacity or build resilience, according to identified needs.
• Grants will be awarded between £5,000 and £50,000
• Approximately 120 grants will be awarded over 2-3 rounds during 2022-23.
• Grant funds must begin to be spent within 6 months of grant payment, but can be carried forward into the following financial year if required to enable flexibility. They should be fully spent within 24 months of grant payment.

Grants will not normally be restricted to specific projects, but CAF will ask you to tell them how you would like to use the funds. It is hoped that charitable organisations can use a grant to become more agile in their support for their communities. This might include the costs of leadership time to develop strategy or organisational capacity, or to access additional external expertise, support and advice to develop their resilience plans. Grants might also be used for staff costs, digital costs, overheads, delivery costs or equipment, according to your identified longer-term needs.

In addition, building on CAF’s advisory opportunities for charities across the UK, all grant holders will gain access to webinars, toolkits, and networking opportunities to accelerate their impact.

More details can be found here.

ENERGY

Centrica scheme to support battery storage – Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, are looking for 2-3 acres of land to support the growth of energy storage. In particular they are looking for land which is:

• Grade 3 or poorer i.e. could not be used for arable farming
• Near a substation (not essential, but better)
• Near a grid connection

If you have an interest in this type of scheme, you can find more information here. It is likely that other companies are offering similar schemes and if interested it would be advisable to consult 2 or 3 other organisations before proceeding.

Note: It is also important to check your governing documents regarding how land you own can be used.

REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE

Inquest hears how boy’s death linked to mould in home – An ongoing inquest has heard that the death of a two-year old boy was directly linked to exposure to mould in the flat where he lived.

The case comes as the government pushes for higher standards in both the private and social sectors of housing. This tragic case serves as a reminder to members of how important it is that you keep track of maintenance issues as they arise and ideally planning effectively for them before they do. One of the best ways to achieve this is through quinquennial surveys which allow you to plan maintenance over a number of years.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 14 November 2022

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

• Charity Commission publishes new guidance on changes to Charites Act – The Charity Commission has published new guidance on changes to the Charities Act which came into force on October 31^st.
  
  These changes include:
  • Payments to charity trustees
  • Failed appeals (where a charity appeal doesn’t not raise enough, raises too much, or circumstances change.)
    
    The next set of provisions are due to take effect in Spring 2023.

• Social Housing Regulation Bill moves to House of Commons – MPs will begin to consider the Social Housing Regulation Bill on November 7^th after its completed passage through the House of Lords.
  
  The Almshouse Association continues to have concerns over what is now Clause 32 which concerns the extension of the Regulator of Social Housing’s power to charitable housing providers who have not received government grant.
  
  We believe that this ultimately undermines the charitable status of almshouse charities and feel it is inappropriate. We encourage members to write to their MPs to flag our concerns and challenge the clause.
  
  The Bill can be found here.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 7 November 2022

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

• Rishi Sunak Appointed Prime Minister – Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been appointed Prime Minister after the resignation of Liz Truss. We congratulate Mr Sunak on his appointment and look forward to seeing the government provide greater support for genuinely affordable housing.
  Mr Sunak has 7 Almshouse Association members within his constituency and so we hope that he will be aware of the fine work that almshouse charities carry out in their communities.

• New Secretary of State for Department of Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities – Michael Gove has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities. 
  We look forward to working with the re-appointed Secretary, particularly in achieving recognition of almshouses as “affordable” under the National Planning Policy Framework, helping to ease the process by which new almshouses can be developed.

• Regulator of Social Housing identifies key risks facing social housing sector in 2022 and beyond – The Regulator of Social Housing has released its Sector Risk Profile, setting out its view of the key risks and challenges facing the social housing sector.
  The report shows that providers face substantial financial pressures. High inflation is impacting on operating costs and the cost of debt is rising at the same time as increased cost of living pressures on tenants, a proposed rent cap, and a weakening housing market. To maintain financial resilience, providers need to continue responding appropriately to the changing conditions.
  Full details can be found here.

Miscellaneous

Research Opportunity

Kings College London, in partnership with Housing LIN, are working on a research project on loneliness in an ageing population tackled through smart clothing and furniture. As part of this, researchers are looking to speak to people over the age of 65 who have experience of loneliness. Their goal is to understand what loneliness means for older adults and learn how we might be better able to measure loneliness.

To take part, individuals would have to:

• be over the age of 65
• have experienced loneliness since turning 65
• be happy to speak about their experiences.

Participants will speak to a researcher in a one-off interview which will take no longer that two hours. This includes demographic questions and comfort breaks.

The interview can be in person or online and will include questions on:

• personal experiences of loneliness
• role of technology in measuring loneliness
• preferences for data use.

As a thank you for their time, participants will be given a £30 voucher after the interview. To take part please contact Dr Jessica Rees via email: deloneliness@kcl.ac.uk.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

posted 31 October 2022

The Almshouse Association is very pleased to able to offer Christmas fund vouchers to almshouse residents over 90 years old again this year!

Over 70 years ago, Major Allnatt, a successful businessman and philanthropist who worked closely with and supported our founding General Secretary, Leonard Hackett, left a Christmas legacy to the Association.
The Almshouse Association invested the money to support his wish that every Christmas, gifts were given to almshouse residents over 90 years old. He wished his name to remain a secret until his death, many years ago now, but his legacy lives on, and it has been a great pleasure for the Association to be able continue to honour his wishes every Christmas.

It is fair to say that when The Almshouse Association Christmas Fund began over 70 years ago there were a lot less 90-year-olds in almshouses; every year we have more and more residents in almshouses that are over 90 years old. Last year vouchers were sent out to 688 almshouse residents!

This is a great testament to the almshouse movement and the caring dedication of trustees and staff!

In the link below you will find all the details and an application form. Please complete and return to The Almshouse Association by email or post before 11^th November 2022.

[Top photo: Residents at Philipot’s almshouses receive their Christmas vouchers – 2020]

Posted 20 October 2022

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

Government introduces Energy Prices Bill

The Government has introduced the Bill which puts into law the support offered to tackle high energy bills. The bill highlights how those without a domestic electricity meter, including those on heat networks, will be supported. This includes:

• The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund to deliver the £400 energy bills rebate to these individuals via local authorities.
• A £100 additional payment for domestic heat network customers.
• Legislation that will require landlords and heat network operators to pass benefits on to tenants via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Further details on The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund are yet to be announced. Full details can be found here.

update: Link to further details from the government website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers

Almshouse Association Meets with DLUHC

The Association recently met with representatives of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. At the meeting we raised concerns from our members regarding the proposed amendments to Social Housing Regulations as well as the ongoing consultation on a rent cap, both of which would impact almshouse charities who are also Registered Providers of Social Housing. The department has assured us that there are no direct threats to almshouses within the new regulations and that the charitable status of almshouses will be protected.

The Association will continue to monitor progress of the regulations for any further developments.

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Opens for Bids

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund has opened for bids to help decarbonise social homes across the country. The Almshouse Association was successful recently in achieving access for all almshouse charities to the scheme which closes on 18^th November 2022.

Almshouse charities looking to access the fund will likely need to become part of a consortium as there is a requirement to retrofit a minimum of 100 dwellings. The Association is looking to help members with this process for future bid windows.

Full information can be found here.

Association attends Conservative Party Conference

The Association attended this year’s conference for the Conservative Party to promote the almshouse movement with government ministers and beyond.

Though disappointed that housing did not appear to play a significant role at the conference, with little time allotted to discuss housing policy as part of the main agenda, we were able to attend some fringe events and speak to a number of stakeholders who are keen to work with us and support our members. Signs would seem to suggest that the new administration may not be as interested in genuinely affordable housing as it is in growth.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:

posted 17 October 2022; updated 24 November 22

The New Almshouse Association Awards are now open for your 2022 submissions!

The awards have been updated to include environmental innovations and to provide clear definitions for each award to ease the award submission path. They will continue to represent recognition for real innovation and achievement within the almshouse movement.

The upgrading and improvement of the environmental impact of buildings is now paramount. Remodelling almshouses or building new almshouses in a way that retains the integrity of their historic buildings is particularly challenging, requires great skill to navigate. Our members are doing an incredible job to ensure their almshouses are well maintained and kept warm and welcoming, whilst also adhering to environmental criteria.

With this in mind, The Almshouse Association Awards recognise and reflect the ever-growing environmental aspects that our members are taking on board when redeveloping or building new. The also encapsulate and honour all the tremendous hard work of our member charities, highlighting the wonderful innovations and life-enhancing projects that are taking place throughout our membership.

The four awards are:

We hope you enjoy being a part of these new awards and you will find, over the coming months, we will be engaging with you to support you with your submissions. We know so many of you have such incredible sites and we will be encouraging you to share these with your peers by partaking in the awards.

Our aim is to build on the quality and high standards of our previous award winners, setting goals and establishing, in many cases, best practices within the almshouse movement. 

Please click here to go to our Award pages where you will find criteria, guidelines and submission formats along with tips and design briefs and former award winners.

Today, more than ever, it’s so important to recognise the vital role almshouses and almshouse trustees play in today’s society. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

The deadline for submissions is 31st January 2023.

posted 6 October 2022

The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact / requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable. Please find below our latest summary:

Government

• Support for energy bills announced – Prime Minister Liz Truss has outlined the support that the government will provide to help with the spiralling costs of energy.
  
  The Energy Price Guarantee is a package of measures which includes:
  • Suspending green levies on energy bills
  • Capping household bills to £2500 per year for the next two years
  • Providing the £400 energy rebate
  • Equivalent support will be offered to those on heat networks
  • A fund will be established to support charities with their energy costs this winter, offering an equivalent guarantee for the next 6 months

More information can be found here.

• Government announces support for non-domestic energy bills – The Government has now published details on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which will help those on non-domestic (business) tariffs this winter. This will include charities who provide energy to their residents.
  The support will initially be available from 1^st October 2022 until 31^st March 2023, with further support expected after this for the most vulnerable sectors.
  
  The scheme will be available to everyone on a non-domestic contract including:
  • businesses
  • voluntary sector organisations, such as charities
  • public sector organisations such as schools, hospitals and care homes
    who are:
  • on existing fixed price contracts that were agreed on or after 1 April 2022
  • signing new fixed price contracts
  • on deemed / out of contract or variable tariffs
  • on flexible purchase or similar contracts

The support will be applied to all bills by suppliers, and you will not need to apply for it to take effect.
– Our full article on the support can be found here.
– A more detailed breakdown of the support can be found on the government announcement here.

• Response to Tenant Satisfaction Measures Consultation Published -The Regulator of Social Housing has published its response to its consultation on the introduction of Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) for Registered Providers of Social Housing.
  
  The TSMs are a set of measures on which are aimed to reflect the performance of housing providers, included registered providers who are almshouses. Following the consultation some of the TSMs have been amended, but there will still be 22 data points covering measures gathered from residents and housing providers based upon levels of satisfaction, complaints, health & safety checks etc.
  
  For most almshouse charities who have less than 1,000 dwellings, there are provisions to collect this data every year or every two years. For those with over 1,000 dwellings, it will be an annual requirement.

The TSMs are due to come into effect on 1^st April 2023. Full details on the response and supplementary information can be found here.

The Charity Commission

• Protect your charity from fraud and cybercrime – The Charity Commission has published guidance on protecting charities from fraud and cybercrime ahead of Charity Fraud Awareness Week (17 – 21 October 2022).

Full guidance can be found here.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 26 September 22