Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional.

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Instead, people should be insuring items for their retail replacement value, which means getting an appraiser to assess art works or other collectibles on that basis every few years.

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If you have faulty goods that have a manufacturer's or third-party warranty, for example electrical items, you should be able to claim on this warranty to get a repair or replacement.

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