Housing
Church's Housing Assistance for the Retired Ministry
(CHARM)
The Church's Housing Assistance for
the Retired Ministry (CHARM) came into operation in 1983. The
Board is able to assist beneficiaries vacating tied housing with
retirement accommodation via the Shared Ownership scheme, with
Rental properties, or in Supported Housing Schemes (formerly
referred to as Residential Homes). The Board can help:
-
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
-
Spouses, Civil Partners,
Widows, and Widowers, as well
as Non-Stipendiary Ministry, House for Duty and members of
other Religious Orders.
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.
Changes to 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 eight 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.
Furthermore, the Board has 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.
Dementia Care Wing
Dr Jonathan Spencer, the Chairman
of The Church of England Pensions Board, opened the Allan
Bridgewater Wing at the Board's Manormead Care Home in Hindhead,
Surrey on Monday 13 December 2010. The new Wing was blessed by the
Bishop of Dudley, the Rt Revd David Walker, who chairs the Board's
Housing Committee.
The extension to the Home's
existing facilities provides a seven bed Dementia Care Unit, the
first at any of the Board's Homes. A main purpose is to make it
easier for couples to remain together after the onset of
dementia.
The new Wing has been named after
Allan Bridgewater, who was the Board's Chairman for 11 years. Dr
Spencer said: "I know that Allan would have been delighted that the
Board has taken this further step to widen the range of services
which it can provide to retired clergy. Many of us have had, or
will have, experience of dementia within our own circle of family
and friends. I know how reassuring it will be for clergy
families who find themselves in this position to know that the
Board can provide some help in this area."
The Bishop of Dudley said: "It is
important for people who have dementia to remain very much part of
the Christian community and to worship and contribute to the
community. This new unit at Manormead enables them to do so."
Please click here for Information and Terms about the new Dementia
Care Wing.
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; or contact Maria Jacobs on 020
7898 1870, or maria.jacobs@churchofengland.org
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):
Supported Housing Scheme documents can be accessed and
we've also 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 the Information Sheet and 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: