Home improvements - disability facility grants

If you or a person living with you is disabled, you may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to adapt your property to enable the disabled person to live as independently as possible.

Owner-occupiers, landlords and a wide range of tenants can apply for a DFG. You can apply if you are the disabled person, the landlord of a disabled person, or someone living with a disabled person.

Do I qualify for a grant?

The DFG must be for a person who is registered, or could be registered, as a disabled person. The disability can be caused by physical illness or injury, a major sight, hearing, speech, or mental-health problem, or a learning disability.

The disabled person will need to have an assessment by one of our occupational therapists, who will advise us what works are considered necessary and appropriate for your or their needs.

To arrange for an assessment to be carried out, contact either:

• Adult Social Care on 01332 640777 - if the adaptation is for an adult over age 18
• the Lighthouse Disabled Children’s Team on 01332 256990 - if the adaptation is for a child under age 19 for whom you are receiving Child Benefit.

If the occupational therapist decides that adaptations are required, they will then forward recommendations to us and we will then make sure that the works are reasonable and practical for your home.

What works can be carried out?

A Disabled Facilities Grant is provided for:

• improving or installing a suitable heating system
• helping you control lighting, power and heating
• making your home safe for you and other people who live in it
• making it easier to
  • get in to and out of your home
  • get to your bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen
  • use the toilet, bath and shower
  • prepare and cook food
  • get around your home to help you care for another person
  • get in and out of your garden.

Are there conditions attached to the DFG?

If the DFG is for an extension to your home, up to £10,000 will be registered as a local land charge against the property, which will last for up to 10 years.  

This means that, if you sold your home before the 10 years, you would have to pay back the full amount of the registered land charge with no interest.

If the works involve installing specialist equipment, for example a stairlift or steplift, a condition will be attached to the DFG to return the equipment when it is no longer needed.

How do you calculate the level of DFG?

To make sure that the DFG goes to the people who need help the most, the level of grant is decided by a means test which looks at income and savings of the disabled person and their spouse or partner. You may have to make a contribution towards the cost of any works that are covered by the grant.

If the DFG is for a child under age 19, and you receive Child Benefit for that child, you will not need to make any contribution.

If you receive of one of the following benefits, you would normally qualify for a 100% grant:

• Income Support
• Universal Credit
• Income-based Employment Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Guaranteed Pension Credit (not Savings Credit)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Working Tax Credit, with an annual income of less than £15,050
• Child Tax Credit, with an annual income of less than £15,050

How much might be awarded through the DFG?

The maximum amount of grant that we would be able to award is £30,000.

If the cost of the works is less than £30,000 and we have assessed and told you that you will need to make a contribution to the cost, the amount of grant will be the cost of the works less your contribution.

Important: You may qualify for a grant only when a recommendation has been made by one of our occupational therapist. If you start work before we have approved your application, we won’t be able to award the grant.

How do I apply for the DFG or get help to apply?

Contact Adult Social Care on 01332 640777 - if the adaptation is for an adult or the Lighthouse Disabled Children’s Team on 01332 256990 - if the adaptation is for a child for whom you are receiving Child Benefit.

Once the assessment has been done and the recommendations received we will help you to fill out the application form and check that all the information we need has been provided.

Our Architects Section can help you with:

• drawing up plans and specifications of works
• applying for planning permission and Building Regulations approval (and any other consents you may need)
• getting quotes from approved contractors
• making sure that the works are up to standard and are finished properly.

The cost of employing our Architects Section can be included in the grant so you don’t have to pay for this separately.

You can also choose to use a surveyor and/or architect of your own. We can give you advice on how to do this.