Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2023
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-11)

This summary explains the new £41.71 million fund to pay for the costs of installing an alarm system in residential buildings to replace Waking Watch.

On 11 April 2025 the government announced the £20.6m Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2023 would be extended to March 2026, with up to £21.11 million additional funds being made available to support the installation of a common alarm system, replacing waking watch measures in all residential buildings where a waking watch is currently in place in England, regardless of where the costs of the waking watch fall.

The fund builds on the £35 million Waking Watch Relief Fund (WWRF) which was focused on high-rise residential buildings (above 17.7 metres) with a waking watch in place (at cost to leaseholders) due to unsafe cladding, and the £27 million Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2022, which expanded eligibility to residential buildings of any height with a waking watch in place due to any fire safety defect.

The £41.71m Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2023 extends financial support to more buildings and is aligned with guidance published by the National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) on buildings that change from a ‘Stay Put’ to a ‘Simultaneous Evacuation’ fire safety strategy.

1. Application guidance

The fund reopened for new applications on 2 September 2024.

Applications to this fund should use the Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2023 Revised Full Fund Application Guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67f93ef8c6046b50261bc893/WWRF_2023_Extension_Guidance_April2025.pdf) (PDF, 348 KB, 10 pages), and application form (https://forms.office.com/e/33kaCyxVy5).

MHCLG personal information charter and privacy notice (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-housing-communities-local-government/about/personal-information-charter#:~:text=The%20data%20controller-,The%20Ministry%20of%20Housing%2C%20Communities%20%26%20Local%20Government%20(%20MHCLG%20),%27purpose%20and%20manner%27) outlines how and why we use your personal information and your rights and responsibilities.

2. Who will benefit?

Leaseholders who may have faced high costs or delays in the implementation of interim safety measures by providing financial support and delivering a better, long-term fire safety system in their buildings.

3. Which buildings will be eligible?

The fund will cover the upfront capital costs of installing an alarm system. The common fire alarm system should generally be designed in accordance with the recommendations of BS 5839-1 for a Category L5 system, which is referred to in the NFCC’s revised guidance on simultaneous evacuation (https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/Simultaneous-evacuation-guidance). To be eligible:

the building must be located in England

the building must be a residential building

the building must have a Waking Watch in place

4. Will retrospective costs be considered?

The reopened fund will cover the cost of alarms where installation work commenced on or after 25 May 2023.

5. Delivery of the fund

The fund will be administered centrally by MHCLG to all eligible buildings.

6. Waking Watch Relief Fund 2021

For those that applied to the 2021 Waking Watch Relief Fund, further information and guidance documents can be found in the Waking Watch Relief Fund prospectus 2021 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/646f3043ab40bf000c196a30/Waking_Watch_Relief_Fund_prospectus.pdf) (PDF, 646 KB, 10 pages).

7. Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2022

For those that applied to the Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2022, further information and guidance documents can be found in the Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2022 application guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/646f30747dd6e7000ca9b377/Waking_Watch_Replacement_Fund_Guidance__January_2022_.pdf) (PDF, 395 KB, 9 pages).