Costs and types of Gardening Aid provided by the Council

The request was successful.

Dear Fife Council,

Could you please advise regarding Gardening Aid (free gardening) provided by the Council, current/latest available figures:

1. How many visits a year each eligible person gets:
a. Grass cuts
b. Hedge Trims
c. Other (weedkilling etc)

2. How many people receive Gardening Aid?

3. What are eligibility criteria (over certain age, on benefits, etc) and their % split.

4. Total spend per annum on free Gardening Aid.

Thank you!

Yours faithfully,

Mark Smith

Fife Council

Dear Mark Smith

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Thank you for your information request received on 15/02/2017 09:46 our ref: 16267. This is being dealt with in terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

We are presently assessing your request and may be in touch soon to ask for further clarification or to offer advice and assistance if we are not able to fulfil your request in its present form.

The legislation allows us up to 20 working days from the date that we receive a valid request, including any clarification we require, to make a final response. We will be in touch within 20 working days of receipt of your initial request to provide our response or to seek clarification where necessary. We hope to provide you with the information you are looking for at an earlier date where possible.

Yours sincerely

Deborah McKay
Information Officer

Deborah Mckay, Fife Council

Dear Mark Smith,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

I refer to your email dated and received 15/02/2017 09:46, our ref 16267. 

 

I am pleased to enclose the information you requested and trust that it
meets your requirements.

 

Information Request

Could you please advise regarding Gardening Aid (free gardening) provided
by the Council, current/latest available figures:

 

Each tenant is required to pay an administration fee to join the scheme
before any works will be undertaken.  This year tenants will need to pay
£45.32 to be added onto the scheme.
1. How many visits a year each eligible person gets:
a. Grass cuts - approximately 12.  

b. Hedge Trims – 2.
c. Other (weedkilling etc) - 1 if tenant requests this (some do not want
or require weedkiller).  There are no other services provided under the
scheme.

2. How many people receive Gardening Aid?

 

1722
3. What are eligibility criteria (over certain age, on benefits, etc) and
their % split.

 

To be eligible, they must be a Fife Council tenant and;

·         Over the age of 60, OR

·         Registered as disabled and in receipt of higher rate Disability
Living Allowance (both care and mobility components), OR

·         In receipt of Personal Independence Payment and receiving either
enhanced mobility or enhanced daily living components

In addition, there must be no other member of the household who is able to
cut the grass and hedge (over the age of 16)

Applications under chronic illness are considered on a case by case basis.

Our system only records whether a tenant is applying on age grounds or
disability grounds, it doesn’t allow disability to be broken down into
DLA, PIP and chronic illness applicants.  There are currently 69% on age
grounds and 31% on disability grounds.

 

4. Total spend per annum on free Gardening Aid.

£424,000

 

 

I would like to draw your attention to the copyright situation in relation
to the material.

 

The council holds the copyright for all of the material provided and it
may be reproduced free of charge in any format or media without requiring
specific permission. This is subject to the material not being used in a
derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source of the material
must be acknowledged as Fife Council and the title of the document must be
included when being reproduced as part of another publication or service.

 

If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your request, you
have the right to request a review of the decision. Please write to: Head
of Legal Services, Finance & Corporate Services, Fife House, North Street,
Glenrothes, KY7 5LT or e-mail to [email address]. The law provides
for you to make this request up to 60 working days from when we received
your enquiry or 40 working days from when you receive this correspondence
whichever is the later date. Where the outcome of the review fails to
resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction you have the right to
apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a
decision.www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

 

Fife Council will consider and seek to resolve any request to the Head of
Legal Services that falls outside these time scales.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Deborah McKay

Customer Experience Information Specialist

Information Management & Requests

1^st Floor, Fife House

GLENROTHES

Fife 

KY7 5LT

 

Tel: 03451 555555 x 441266

 

                

 

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