Does a broken sewage pipe qualify for any grant aid?

Enter Username Here

I am looking for information for an elderly relative regarding a broken pipe at the side of their house.

The pipe services 5 houses, and has collapsed in on itself so they checked house insurance, which does not cover wear & tear. So after a bit of looking around I found this form from Fingal county council

https://www.fingal.ie/council/service/housing-adaptation-grants-older-people-and-people-disability

Under Section 3 on page 6 it states

What can I use this grant for?

You can use this grant to do essential repairs. This could be to:

⚫ help repair or replace the roof;

⚫ upgrade the electrical wiring;

⚫ repair or replace doors and windows;

⚫ provide central heating (where there is no central heating or it is broken beyond

economic repair).

Which I understood to be examples of essential repair. I thought this pipe would fall under essential repair as can cause subsidence, but have been told that they do not cover pipes, only wiring, central heating and roof repair, which must not be just examples.

Would anybody know if there is any grant where an elderly person may qualify for this repair as it is going to cost over €1000 to repair it and I am sure that they don't have it.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058296678/does-a-broken-sewage-pipe-qualify-for-any-grant-aid

Yes they can go to their local CWO at their local SW office and apply for an Additional Needs payment.

Here is the application form.

Please note that you cannot do the work and then apply for the money in retrospect. The work cannot be already done. If you don’t know where to send it ring your local Citizens Information Centre and they will help you to find out.

https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/24920/f93565af8bed495a817b8d7fbb18482a.pdf#page=null

Enter Username Here

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120604627#Comment_120604627

Thank you very much, I have been online all day trying to find anything I could for them and thought that the form above was their last chance. I will print that for them thank you very much.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120604650#Comment_120604650

You’re very welcome. Stick a letter in with it from yourself spelling out the situation. Can’t do any harm. Good luck!

Enter Username Here

I will do that, thanks again.

It is a lot to print so I am going to see if I can pick up a form from the citizens information centre tomorrow.

gipi

If the pipe services 5 houses, shouldn't the cost of repair be divided between them, rather than on one house only?

Has Irish Water any responsibility here?

hawthorne

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120605372#Comment_120605372

Indeed. I would contact the council first. The council might be the one who could be responsible to fix the problem. No harm giving them a ring!

CrookedJack

I would also say that I had an identical situation with my parents and initially the insurance company said it was just wear and tear and was not covered, but I persisted so they sent out an inspector who looked at it and confirmed it was more than that so they did pay for remediation. So it's worth engaging fully with them.

Enter Username Here

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120605372#Comment_120605372

Thank you for that. We found out today after I saw your post that it is what is normal with the people on that road. Two other neighbours on the other end of the road had the same problem in the last two years and it was divided among the houses. So the person I am inquiring for called into the neighbours today. They were all great about it and agreed if it needed to be done that they would pay. Except one house (the 3rd down) that says his house isn't on the same drainage system so I tried to look it up on floodinfo.ie but I can't zoom in far enough to see the houses. I also don't really know how that site works or if it is the correct site. Is there a better site for Fingal maps of drains?

@hawthorne - I contacted the council first because I thought the same thing but they said no, not if it is on private property unfortunately. Thanks for your reply.

@CrookedJack - The inspector or engineer came out to look at it and was very thorough. He told them that it needed a lot more work than they first thought and said that he wasn't hopeful that the insurance company would pay out as it was wear & tear. Also they need new drain covers as they are rusted rotten and he said that somebody could fall through. Also tank you for your answers.

This forum was great for answers and information thank you so much everyone 🤩. I got more information here than I did in almost two weeks of looking everywhere and getting headaches. I also got some incorrect information from a friend of mine. I don't know where he found the information he gave me, and I am happy I didn't fully listen to him. I should have come here straight away and I would have saved myself the pain.

I will try and contact the council again tomorrow for them and see if I can get a map or some information about which houses the drains come from. Unless there is somewhere online.

Enter Username Here

Hi all, I am just back here to provide an update.

The work was done, and is now finished. A very nice guy from Dyno-Rod came out and repaired it and it is all done. Some of the neighbours paid without any issue, I think there are two that didn't pay, but It wasn't my business, so I am not entirely sure. The owner is happy enough though as the costs dropped immediately thanks to the information here, and some information to keep for the future.

I don't know if this is correct or not, nor can I say who told us as I wouldn't like them to get in trouble, but we have been told since that the Insurance company should have paid out when initially asked. He told us that wear and tear isn't really a thing, and the type of damage that was done to the pipe could affect the structure of the house, and it is 100% an insurance issue. He seemed to be very knowledgeable on the subject and knew what he was talking about regarding the structure and the pipes layout too.

Anyway, maybe that information may be useful for somebody else in the future, we went ahead without it thanks to the information here.

Thank you all for the information.