Applications open 17 August 2026 and close 9 October 2026
In positive news for building owners and leaseholders alike, on 9 July 2026 an expansion to the existing Cladding Safety Scheme was announced to include funding for multi-occupied buildings under 11 metres alongside existing funding available for taller buildings over 11 metres in height.
What is the Cladding Safety Scheme?
The Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) was set up in July 2023 to help pay for fixing fire safety problems caused by unsafe cladding at residential buildings, replacing earlier schemes. The CSS is part of wider government efforts, started after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, to make buildings safer and shield leaseholders from expensive repair bills.
At first, CSS funding was only for taller buildings (over 11 metres, or between 11 and 18 metres in London) but has been expanded, first to rental and now to lower rise higher risk buildings.
The funding covers cladding works only and requires the building’s Responsible Entity to try to recover costs from those who caused the defects.
If a developer has already agreed to fix the building under the Developer Remediation Contract, that building cannot get CSS funding.
What are the new requirements?
Importantly, there is no automatic right to funding, for a building of any height.
Funding for buildings less than 11 metres tall is targeted. The focus is on those buildings assessed under the PAS9980 code of practice by a fire engineer as having external walls that represent a risk to life from fire spread (i.e. assessed as not tolerable without mitigation or remediation). Priority for funding is given to the buildings that present the most critical fire safety risk. Presently, there is no government commitment to fund remediation works for all medium or higher risk buildings under 11 metres and applications are to be assessed on an as received basis with the date and time of submission important in determining the assessment order.
As with the existing funding, all applications are required to have a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Wall (FRAEW) undertaken from the CSS panel of Fire Risk Assessors, and previous or alternative funding routes will be inspected before the funding is awarded.
Applications
The expanded CSS applies to both privately owned and social housing buildings. Importantly, only the building’s “Responsible Entity”, being the person who is legally responsible for a building’s external repair and maintenance, can apply for and accept funding. This is usually the freeholder, head leaseholder, right to manage company, residents’ management company or a registered housing provider.
Applications for the additional funding open on 17 August 2026, with final submissions to close on 9 October 2026.
Any Responsible Entity seeking to utilise the CSS should ensure relevant documentation is collated in advance of applications opening to submit at the earliest possible date.
If you need help regarding CSS funding or pursuing claims against third parties, feel free to reach out to the writers.