More handy help at home for older people

Older people are to get more 'handyman' help to carry out repairs to their homes following a £33 million allocation announced by Communities Minister Baroness Andrews.

The money is available to local authorities across England to help them develop or expand their local handyman services over the next two years. The scheme will enable older people to hire a trusted handyman in a van to come round to their homes and carry out minor repairs, such as clearing out the gutters, fixing a new lock to the back door or securing the stair carpets to avoid it becoming a fall hazard.

Hiring a handyman will in most cases be free or involve a minimal charge, depending on the local authority, ensuring that the service will be accessible to all.

Baroness Andrews said that for many people the handyperson service could provide the difference between independent living or moving out into more supported accommodation, and urged local authorities to use this funding to full effect.

Baroness Andrews said: "We all know sometimes it can be hard to find good, trusted help at home but these schemes do exactly that. As we get older it can be the little things that hinder our ability to stay independent at home.

"Sometimes what is needed can be as simple as a grab rail or having loose stair carpets secured to be able to continue to get safely up and downstairs, jobs that are mildly inconvenient to most of us, but for others it means the difference between living at home or moving into care.

"This investment in the handyman service will provide the help that older people might need to stay safe and independent at home."

The handyman service is one of the services being expanded as part of the Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods strategy to help people to live independently in their own homes for longer.

The Minister will also announce £1 million to develop a national helpline and website to provide expert advice and assistance on a range of matters affecting older people, such as housing advice and care and support services in their area. The Government will be working with a range of agencies including Counsel and Care, Elderly Accommodation Counsel and Help the Aged to transform the exciting pilot scheme into a national helpline going live in April 2009.

For people who are looking to downsize or move home they will be able to speak to experts who can give them a run down of the options available to them locally, arranging a time to focus on each individual case.

"Silver surfers" will be able to look online for assistance as well as email the help team direct with any queries.

Callers who want to hire a handyman will be directed to local services, knowing they are hiring a trusted professional who will guarantee their work at a low set cost. Every handyman in a van is security checked and able to assist with routine maintenance tasks around the home.

The handyman scheme is building on the success of individual schemes already run across the country.