Disabled facilities grants

The disabled facilities grant is a mandatory grant for major works, like stairlifts, door-widening, through-floor lifts, special WCs, ramps and level-access shower rooms, to help adults or children with disabilities live as independently as possible.

It is available to owner-occupiers, private tenants and housing association tenants.

Who qualifies for a disabled facilities grant?

You can apply for a disabled facilities grant if you, or someone living in your property, is disabled and:

• you, or the person on whose behalf you are applying, are either the owner of the property or a tenant of a private landlord or housing association
• you can certify that you, or the person on whose behalf you are applying, intends to occupy the property as your/their only or main residence throughout the grant period - currently five years.

A landlord may apply on behalf of a disabled tenant.

Initial assessment

The initial assessment is carried out by the Community Occupational Therapy (OT) service either in Children's or Adult Community Services. The OT visits the disabled person and decides what work is needed, then refers the disabled person or their family to Private Sector Housing.

Financial assessment

A Home Improvement Agency (HIA) Case Manager visits the applicant at home to make a financial assessment and tells the applicant if they will have to contribute to the cost of the work. They will also ensure that the family are getting all the right benefits and access to other beneficial services.

Applicants can use our HIA technical service to help them organise the work or they can use their own contractor and architect and the council will check the scheme to make sure it meets their needs. When applicants use the HIA, a specification and drawings are prepared and once agreed by their OT this is tendered on the applicant's behalf. Once an acceptable tender is received and all the forms are completed the grant is approved.

How much is the grant for?

The amount paid is usually based on a financial assessment - a 'means test' - of your average weekly income in relation to your outgoings. There is no means testing for families of disabled children under 19.

Means testing will take into account savings above a certain limit. Certain benefits including Disability Living Allowance and Income Support are generally ignored. If you have a partner, your combined income will be assessed jointly. Capital is included in the means test. The first £6,000 of savings is disregarded.

Depending on the outcome of this assessment the amount of financial assistance offered can vary from 0 to 100 per cent of the cost.

How the award is worked out

The award works as follows:

• if your income is less than your assessed needs you will not normally need to contribute to the cost of the works
• if your income is more than your assessed needs, a proportion of your income will be used to calculate how much you could contribute towards the cost of the works
• if the assessed amount is less than the cost of the works, the difference between the two is paid as a Disabled Facilities Grant.

Maximum grant amount

At the moment the maximum grant is £30,000 (less any assessed contribution). In exceptional cases a top-up discretionary Disabled Facilities Grant might be available. Discretionary cases will be considered by a panel consisting of officers within Housing, Regeneration and Environment and Adult and Community Services.

Who should I contact?

Initially you should telephone the Occupational Therapy Department, who will visit and assess your need for your home to be adapted.

If a recommendation for an adaption has been approved you should be contacted by The Home Improvement Agency and Grants Team who will help you apply for your grant.