Housing Repairs for 2024/25 and 2025/26
Case reference FOI2026/02275
Received 22 September 2026
Published 30 September 2026
Request
I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act. This Freedom of Information request aims to understand how people with a terminal illness are supported to access timely home repairs.
If some parts of the request cannot be answered within the cost limit, please answer as many questions as possible up to the cost limit.
Please contact me if any further clarification is required. We would also welcome advice about how the FOI request could be refined to attain the remaining information.
If possible, please provide answers in a spreadsheet. To avoid exceeding the cost limit, please provide aggregated data rather than individual case files.
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Council-owned housing
1. What is the local authority's target timescale for completing repair requests for council tenants for
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs,
iii) routine repairs?
Please use your own definitions for emergency, urgent or routine repairs.
2. What was the average time taken (in working days) from a council tenant reporting a repair, to that repair being completed, during the following periods?
Please provide a breakdown of the average time taken to complete
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs, and
iii) routine repairs, using your own definitions.
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
3. Of the total repairs reported by council tenants for these time periods, what proportion were completed in a timescale that exceeded the local authority's target timescale for this cohort?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
4. Does your housing system enable you to identify when a council tenant has a terminal illness or life-limiting conditions?
5. How many repair requests were received by the local authority relating to council tenants with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition during the following periods, and what proportion of all repair requests received from council tenants was this?
Please provide breakdowns according to whether these were
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs,
iii) routine repairs
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
6. Does having a terminal illness or a life-limiting condition affect repair priority or target timescales for council tenants?
a. If yes, what are the eligibility criteria to being deemed terminally ill or having a life-limiting condition? What evidence (if any) is required?
b. If yes, is this explicitly stated on your website?
c. If yes, what is the local authority's target timescale for completing repair requests for council tenants with a terminal illness or a life-limiting condition?
7. Where recorded, what was the average time taken (in working days) from a council tenant who is terminally ill or has a life-limiting condition reporting a repair, to that repair being completed, during the following periods? Please provide a breakdown of the average time taken to complete
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs, and
iii) routine repairs, using your own definitions.
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
8. Of the total repairs reported by council tenants with a terminal illness or a life-limiting condition for these time periods, what proportion were completed in a timescale that exceeded the local authority's target timescale for this cohort?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
9. Does your housing/repairs system enable you to identify when a council tenant has died while an outstanding repair remains open?
10. How many council tenants died following first contact about a repair and prior to the repair being completed during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Private rented housing
11. Following a complaint from a private rented tenant to the local authority about their landlord not completing repairs, what is the local authority's target timescale for
a) completing an inspection, and
b) taking enforcement action after an inspection?
12. What was the average time taken (in working days) from
i) receipt of a complaint from a private rented tenant about incomplete repairs to the completion of inspection, and
ii) from completion of an inspection to enforcement action or other formal intervention during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
13. Of the total complaints from private rented tenants about landlords not completing repairs, what proportion of the local authority's
i) inspections and
ii) enforcements action exceeded the relevant target timescale during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
14. Does your housing system enable you to identify when a private rented tenant has a terminal illness or life-limiting conditions?
15. How many complaints about landlords not completing repairs were received by the local authority relating to private rented tenants with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition during the following periods, and what proportion of all complaints received from private rented tenants was this? Please provide breakdowns according to whether these were
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs,
iii) routine repairs
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
16. Does the local authority have a process for prioritising an inspection, enforcement action or other intervention of a private landlord who's not completed a repair, where the private rented tenant has a terminal illness or life-limiting condition?
a. If yes, what are the eligibility criteria to being deemed terminally ill or having a life-limiting condition? What evidence (if any) is required?
b. If yes, is this explicitly stated on your website?
c. If yes, what is the local authority's target timescale for completing an inspection, enforcement action or other intervention of a private landlord for private rented tenants with a terminal illness or a life-limiting condition?
17. Where recorded, what was the average time taken (in working days) from i) receipt of a complaint from a private rented tenant with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition about incomplete repairs to the completion of inspection, and ii) from completion of an inspection to enforcement action or other formal intervention during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
18. Where recorded, of the total complaints from private rented tenants with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition about landlords not completing repairs, what proportion of the local authority's
i) inspections and
ii) enforcements action exceeded the relevant target timescale during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
19. Does your housing/repairs system enable you to identify when a private rented tenant has died while an outstanding repair complaint remains open?
20. How many private rented tenants died following a complaint about a landlord not completing a repair and prior to the local authority completing an inspection, enforcement action or other intervention during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Owner occupier housing
21. Does the local authority provide any support, grants, loans or other assistance when somebody with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition owns their home but cannot afford essential repairs? If so, please outline what provision(s) is in place, including the value of the support available.
a. Does having a terminal illness or life-limiting condition affect somebody's eligibility or prioritisation for any support, grant, loan or assistance?
Response
I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act. This Freedom of Information request aims to understand how people with a terminal illness are supported to access timely home repairs.
If some parts of the request cannot be answered within the cost limit, please answer as many questions as possible up to the cost limit.
Please contact me if any further clarification is required. We would also welcome advice about how the FOI request could be refined to attain the remaining information.
If possible, please provide answers in a spreadsheet. To avoid exceeding the cost limit, please provide aggregated data rather than individual case files.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Council-owned housing
1. What is the local authority's target timescale for completing repair requests for council tenants for
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs,
iii) routine repairs?
Please use your own definitions for emergency, urgent or routine repairs.
Answer: Herefordshire Council does not have its own housing stock and as a result we do not hold data with regard to the information requested. All social housing in Herefordshire is owned and managed by Registered Providers (housing associations). Therefore, this part of the request will need to be presented to the Registered Providers.
2. What was the average time taken (in working days) from a council tenant reporting a repair, to that repair being completed, during the following periods?
Please provide a breakdown of the average time taken to complete
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs, and
iii) routine repairs, using your own definitions.
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: N/A
3. Of the total repairs reported by council tenants for these time periods, what proportion were completed in a timescale that exceeded the local authority's target timescale for this cohort?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: N/A
4. Does your housing system enable you to identify when a council tenant has a terminal illness or life-limiting conditions?
Answer: N/A
5. How many repair requests were received by the local authority relating to council tenants with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition during the following periods, and what proportion of all repair requests received from council tenants was this?
Please provide breakdowns according to whether these were
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs,
iii) routine repairs
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: N/A
6. Does having a terminal illness or a life-limiting condition affect repair priority or target timescales for council tenants?
a. If yes, what are the eligibility criteria to being deemed terminally ill or having a life-limiting condition? What evidence (if any) is required?
b. If yes, is this explicitly stated on your website?
c. If yes, what is the local authority's target timescale for completing repair requests for council tenants with a terminal illness or a life-limiting condition?
Answer: N/A
7. Where recorded, what was the average time taken (in working days) from a council tenant who is terminally ill or has a life-limiting condition reporting a repair, to that repair being completed, during the following periods? Please provide a breakdown of the average time taken to complete
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs, and
iii) routine repairs, using your own definitions.
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: N/A
8. Of the total repairs reported by council tenants with a terminal illness or a life-limiting condition for these time periods, what proportion were completed in a timescale that exceeded the local authority's target timescale for this cohort?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: N/A
9. Does your housing/repairs system enable you to identify when a council tenant has died while an outstanding repair remains open?
Answer: N/A
10. How many council tenants died following first contact about a repair and prior to the repair being completed during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: N/A
Private rented housing
11. Following a complaint from a private rented tenant to the local authority about their landlord not completing repairs, what is the local authority's target timescale for
a) completing an inspection, and
b) taking enforcement action after an inspection?
Answer: This information is not held. The Service Area have advised we do not have specific or robust target timescales.
12. What was the average time taken (in working days) from
i) receipt of a complaint from a private rented tenant about incomplete repairs to the completion of inspection, and
ii) from completion of an inspection to enforcement action or other formal intervention during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: This information is not held.
13. Of the total complaints from private rented tenants about landlords not completing repairs, what proportion of the local authority's
i) inspections and
ii) enforcements action exceeded the relevant target timescale during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: This information is not held. The Service Area have advised we do not have specific or robust target timescales.
14. Does your housing system enable you to identify when a private rented tenant has a terminal illness or life-limiting conditions?
Answer: No
15. How many complaints about landlords not completing repairs were received by the local authority relating to private rented tenants with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition during the following periods, and what proportion of all complaints received from private rented tenants was this? Please provide breakdowns according to whether these were
i) emergency repairs,
ii) urgent repairs,
iii) routine repairs
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: This information is not held.
16. Does the local authority have a process for prioritising an inspection, enforcement action or other intervention of a private landlord who's not completed a repair, where the private rented tenant has a terminal illness or life-limiting condition?
Answer: No.
a. If yes, what are the eligibility criteria to being deemed terminally ill or having a life-limiting condition? What evidence (if any) is required?
Answer: N/A.
b. If yes, is this explicitly stated on your website?
Answer: N/A.
c. If yes, what is the local authority's target timescale for completing an inspection, enforcement action or other intervention of a private landlord for private rented tenants with a terminal illness or a life-limiting condition?
Answer: N/A.
17. Where recorded, what was the average time taken (in working days) from i) receipt of a complaint from a private rented tenant with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition about incomplete repairs to the completion of inspection, and ii) from completion of an inspection to enforcement action or other formal intervention during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: This information is not held.
18. Where recorded, of the total complaints from private rented tenants with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition about landlords not completing repairs, what proportion of the local authority's
i) inspections and
ii) enforcements action exceeded the relevant target timescale during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: This information is not held.
19. Does your housing/repairs system enable you to identify when a private rented tenant has died while an outstanding repair complaint remains open?
Answer: This information is not held.
20. How many private rented tenants died following a complaint about a landlord not completing a repair and prior to the local authority completing an inspection, enforcement action or other intervention during the following periods?
a. 01 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
b. 01 April 2025 - 31 March 2026
Answer: This information is not held.
Owner occupier housing
21. Does the local authority provide any support, grants, loans or other assistance when somebody with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition owns their home but cannot afford essential repairs? If so, please outline what provision(s) is in place, including the value of the support available.
a. Does having a terminal illness or life-limiting condition affect somebody's eligibility or prioritisation for any support, grant, loan or assistance?
Answer: The Service Area have advised the following:
· Assistance is available through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and discretionary schemes, including the Fast Track Grant for residents with life-limiting conditions and a ‘one off’ discretionary Emergency Repayable Grant.
· DFG funding cannot be used for general repairs and maintenance, which remain the responsibility of the landlord or homeowner.
· The Emergency Repayable Grant may be considered at the council’s discretion, for an essential repair where all other funding options have been exhausted.
· The Home Improvement Agency, You at Home, (HIA or YAH) provides minor adaptations (up to £1000) for needs identified through Occupational Therapist/Assistant assessment under the care act, or the OT/A may refer to the housing Provider to supply and install; a Handyperson Service (for which there is a charge to the person); and a ‘rapid response’ Minor adaptation service for end-of-life cases.
· Some types of major adaptations for residents with life-limiting conditions can considered for ‘Fast Track Grant’ and, where appropriate, some adaptations may be provided by Registered Housing Providers following Occupational Therapist assessment.
Full details of types of assistance are publically available on our council website and can be viewed via the following links:
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/family-support/help-at-home/home-improvement-and-adaptations/
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/media/b4qkqsvy/home_adaptations_and_assistance_policy.pdf
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
Documents
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