The Almshouse Association will be posting Key Decisions made at our Board Meetings onto our website for all registered member charities to access.
The Key Decisions will first be posted in the ‘Latest News’ section of our website and all members that have signed up for email alerts will also be sent a direct link to the news item. After a period of time, our ‘Key Decisions’ news item will be moved to the ‘Current Affairs’ section of our website, where you will be able to access a record of all Key Decisions made by the Board (from June 2018).
At the Board Meeting held on 13th June 2018 at The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, Merchant Taylors’ Hall, 30 Threadneedle Street, London the following Key Decision was made:
The Board instructed the Directorate to prepare a policy and procedure for issuing grants to member charities.
The Almshouse Association is currently in discussions with the TV Licensing Authority regarding the interpretation of the legislation with respect to almshouse accommodation that qualifies for a concessionary licence for their residents under the ARC (Accommodation for Residential Licences) Scheme.
The Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 state that the following types of accommodation are able to apply for an ARC Licences:
A. A care home or care hospital (Registered under the Care Standards Act 2000)
Or
B. An almshouse (Established before 1 November 1949)
Or
C. Sheltered/supported accommodation that is:
housed in a building that has been erected or converted for the purposes of occupation by residents that are retired and over 60, or disabled and form part of a group of at least four dwellings within a common and exclusive boundary and with a person whose function is to care for the needs of the residents (e.g. a warden) and who either lives on site or works there for at least 30 hours a week, excluding on-call hours.
In addition, in order for the residents to qualify, they must be:
- Retired (they must be 60 years old or over. If they’re in paid work, this must be for no more than 15 hours per week. They can only work for more than 15 hours per week if they’ve had an ARC Concessionary TV Licence since 31 March 2004.)
Or
- Disabled (They must have substantially impaired sight, hearing or speech, a mental disorder or be substantially physically disabled by illness, any impairment present from birth or otherwise)
Confusion has arisen from the wording ‘Established before 1 November 1949’ (see Point B above). Assistant Director, Sue Turner is continuing discussions with TV Licensing and would advise the current situation is as follows:
- The TV Licensing Authority will only consider an application from an almshouse charity if the building for which the concessionary licence is to apply, is built on land that was endowed (or gifted) to the charity prior to 1 Nov 1949. They insist that if the charity has moved to another parcel of land they will not consider it complies with the regulation. They do, however, state that if new almshouses were built (after 1 Nov 1949) on the same land, they are eligible – they do not consider the age of the property or the age of the charity – only the original site of the dwellings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …………… …………………….. . . . . …………………………………….. …………………………………………. ………………………………. … . .
The Almshouse Association is going to take this further with the Licensing Authority to see if they can be persuaded that the word “established” should equate to when the charity was founded – at present they will not accept this. … . . . . . . . . . . . . . …………………….. . . . .. .. . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . … . .. . . . .. .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- The TV Licensing Authority has accepted that applications from almshouse charities under the clause that they are “sheltered accommodation” are acceptable. This means any almshouse charity that provides more than 4 dwellings within a common and exclusive boundary and fulfils the criteria as stated in Point C above
For those charities that have been refused concessionary licences, as their properties were built after 1949 or are now on land not part of the original endowment, please re-submit your application and state clearly that ‘the charity is an almshouse charity providing sheltered accommodation’.
We will keep you posted with any further developments.
At the recent AGM, The Almshouse Association was delighted and very proud to be able to announce the names of the three almshouse charities chosen by HRH Prince of Wales to receive the Patron’s Award for 2017.
- The Davenport Homes, Solihull
12 brand new one bedroom cottages with landscaping, car parking and improved access – replicating the best design elements of the original cottages, incorporating the highest standard of modern living, all set within the traditional almshouse quadrangle format.
- Shrewsbury Drapers’ Almshouses – Drapers Place
After rising to a number of the challenges which included raising the level of the building and complementing a conservation area, the Charity were able to create a contemporary high quality new development of 25 flats with community facilities, that is fuel efficient, noise insulated and both disabled and dementia friendly.
- Amersham United Charities – Miss Day’s Almshouses
Having consulted with residents, Trustees converted 9 very small 19th century dwellings to 7 larger almshouses with new staircases designed to accommodate a stair lift, downstairs toilets, 2 with kitchen extensions and the remaining 5 having an interlocking design which enabled the provision of a much larger bedroom and shower room upstairs.
It is anticipated that the charities will be presented with their awards by HRH The Duke of Gloucester later in the year.
Well done and many congratulations!
posted 20 June 2018
Government has announced today (20th June 2018) a review to look at how selective licensing is used and find out how well it is working. Click here for further details
The review will see independent commissioners gather evidence from local authorities and bodies representing landlords, tenants and housing professionals. The review’s findings will be reported in spring 2019. There will be an update on progress in autumn this year.
The Almshouse Association is acutely aware of the detrimental financial effect selective licensing has had on almshouse charities and will respond appropriately. In order to properly evidence our response to Government, the Association would be grateful if almshouse charities that have been impacted by selective licensing would contact Chris Targowski – christargowski@almshouses.org directly.