Housing

Housing

New Dementia Care facility at Manormead

The Board's first Dementia Care facility was opened at Manormead Care Home in Hindhead, Surrey in December 2010. The Board's aim was to provide a safe home and caring environment for its beneficiaries and their dependants who have dementia. 

As demand for care and support for those living with dementia continues to grow, the Board remains committed to meeting these demands for its beneficiaries, so we are delighted that a second Dementia Care facility at Manormead, with a further seven rooms, opens in January 2013.

These additional rooms have already been allocated, but for more information about the Dementia Care facilities, please contact Tracy Wood in the Supported Housing and Nursing Care section of the Housing Department on:

Research into Future Retiring Clergy Housing needs

The Church of England Pensions Board provides a range of retirement services to those who have served or worked for the Church, including the provision for more than 60 years of Housing assistance to Clergy when they retire from the Ministry (subject to certain qualifying conditions/criteria). The Board is committed to delivering a professional, high quality and efficient service for our customers, respecting their needs, as well as the needs of those who provide the money to enable us to do this.

Therefore, we organised a survey of all stipendiary Clergy due to retire within the next 15 years, to gauge future requirements for assistance. The survey was carried out during June/July 2012 by the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York, which is well known and respected in the field of Housing research. In due course, the Survey findings and the Board's recommendations will form the basis of a Report to General Synod and the key findings will be made available to Clergy to coincide with this Report. 

CHARM Scheme

The Church's Housing Assistance for the Retired Ministry (CHARM) Scheme came into operation in 1983 and the Board is able to assist beneficiaries vacating tied housing with retirement accommodation via the Shared Ownership Scheme, the Rental Scheme, the Supported Housing Schemes, or Manormead Care Home (with Nursing), as follows:

  • Retired Clergy, Deaconesses, Licensed Lay and Church Workers, and Church Army Officers;
  • with at least five years qualifying pensionable service under Clergy Pension Measures;
  • with insufficient financial resources to purchase a property outright; and 
  • their Spouses, Civil Partners, Widows and Widowers.

Non-Stipendiary Ministry (NSMs), members of other Religious Orders and Lay Pensioners, with a minimum of five years service, are eligible for the Supported Housing Schemes and Manormead Care Home (with Nursing).

Retirement housing is not provided 'as of right', but may be offered having regard to the resources available to the Board and each applicant's circumstances. It is not the purpose of the Scheme to assist those who have some resources of their own, either in the aquisition of a larger property, or with their wider financial planning, by freeing capital for other purposes.

Housing Schemes available

There are three categories of housing assistance available, each of which is described in more detail within this section of the website:

In addition, the Board administers Manormead Care Home (with Nursing) for those who require full Nursing care, including the Dementia Care Wings.

Eligibility Criteria

In April 2010, the Board introduced changes to the Eligibilty Criteria by increasing the minimum service required for the Rental Scheme from five years by one year every April, until the required service is 15 years in 2019, so the minimum service required is currently nine years. Years of qualifying service are determined by an applicant's service on their date of retirement; even if they subsequently apply to the Board for housing later in their retirement. 

However, this increase does not apply to the Shared Ownership Scheme, the Supported Housing Schemes, the Care Home, or early retirement due to Ill Health, where minimum service required remains at five years.  

Elegibility was also extended to Clergy with a minimum of five years Stipendiary service plus House for Duty service that matches the minimum service requirement; and eligibility for the Supported Housing Schemes and the Care Home was extended to those ordained with Non-Stipendiary Ministry service and applicants from other Religious Orders with the minumum of five years service required. 

The Board also extended eligibility to the Supported Housing Schemes and the Care Home to all individuals who receive a pension from the Board, including their spouses/civil partners, with the minimum of five years service required. However, those with Ministry service will always take priority over Lay applicants on the waiting lists.       

Shared Ownership Scheme

The Shared Ownership scheme was introduced in 2008; its aim is to make home ownership an affordable option for retiring clergy and other beneficiaries who cannot afford to purchase outright on the open market. The Board purchase the property and then grant a 99 year lease to the shared owner. The minimum share that applicants can purchase is 25% of the property's value; and rent is payable on the Board's share of the property.

Service charges are also payable, which smooth the costs of maintenance and repair, so there are no unexpected bills. Additional shares in the property can be increased at any time in the future (staircasing) up to owning it outright, or you can sell the share that you own when you move. The maximum contribution from the Board is currently fixed at £150,000. Documents about the Shared Ownership Scheme are available.

Rental Scheme

Beneficiaries may apply to the Board for rental accommodation from nine months prior to retirement.  The terms and conditions of the scheme, including the type of property which would be acceptable, and some useful questions and answers, are contained within the Retirement Housing Booklet.

If you are approaching retirement age and are considering your future plans for your retirement home, the Board's staff would be pleased to offer you some guidance.  You can download an Application Form and please return the form, duly signed, to the Housing Department.

Supported Housing Schemes

With accommodation specifically designed for the needs of elderly people, the Board provides modern, purpose designed Supported Housing Schemes around the country for its beneficiaries, built to the highest standards. Accommodation is in the form of self contained flats within a caring Christian community, which enables residents to live an independent life, but still have the comfort, support and security of having fully trained staff on hand if needed, together with the companionship of others.

The Supported Housing Schemes are (please click on links for more information):

We have produced a DVD that brings to life what is on offer at the Board's seven Supported Housing Schemes and Care Home (with Nursing): please click here for details of the DVD.

Manormead Care Home (with Nursing)

For those beneficiaries who require nursing care, the Board administers a Care Home with full nursing which is able to accommodate 34 patients, mostly in their own rooms, but with a number of shared rooms for married couples. Please click here for up-to-date details about Terms of Admission and Current Vacancies.

Please click here for further information about Manormead Care Home 

The Nursing Home now includes a Dementia Care Wing - please click here for Information and Terms and a link to the Dementia Care Wing page. 

If after reading the Housing Booklet, you have any specific questions applicable to your own circumstances, please telephone the office:

Documents available in connection with Retirement Housing

General

Shared Ownership

Rental Properties

Supported Housing Schemes

Manormead Care Home (with Nursing)

External

The Church of England Pensions Board's Retirement Housing page offers links to external websites for the convenience of its viewers. However, the Board is not responsible for the content of external websites and the provision of links does not imply endorsement.

For general information in respect of care and housing advice for older people, you may wish to access this link to: