Home Repairs and Energy Conservation

Your monthly rent allowance can also be used to pay for home repairs, if your rent/mortgage and utilities are less than the maximum payment. You should explain why the repairs are necessary for your health or well-being, or if you need to make your home accessible because of a medical condition. You should also keep the receipts from the repairs to give to your worker and know that they may not give you the money until you provide them.

Welfare may refuse to grant the money for repairs if you rent and the landlord would be legally responsible for doing them.

In theory, this includes necessary repairs or improvements to your squat, tent, lean-too or living structure.

You can also get money for repairs and measures that are inexpensive that will help you lower your utility bills. This includes money for caulking, ,sealing or weatherstripping, around doors and windows, insulating hot water pipes and hot water tank, insulating blanket for electric water heater, flow restrictor in showerhead pipe, low flow aerators for faucets, fluorescent light bulbs, clothes line/rack and clothes pins, and motion sensors for lighting.

To get this money, tell your worker you need it, you have to get approval in advance. They will issue the money after you provide receipts but only to a maximum of $50.