Your questions answered - Disabled Facilities Grant

Your questions answered

• What kind of works can be done?

  Typical examples of adaptations completed include:

  • installing ramps, step lifts, stairlifts and through floor lifts
  • installing level threshold doors
  • widening doorways to enable access by mobility equipment
  • installing level access showers/bathroom adaptations
  • fitting handrails/grabrails
  • converting ground floor rooms

  The Council’s priority is for adaptations to be carried out within the existing footprint of the main home.

• Will I have to pay?

  Grants of up to £30,000 are available for eligible works, although most needs can be met for far less. The DFG is a contributory grant, which means that you may need to complete an assessment of financial means. Depending on your financial situation, you may be asked to contribute towards the cost of the adaptation.

  If you are in receipt of a confirmed income related benefit, you will be passported to full funding, having already undertaken a financial assessment for benefit purposes. Any DFG on behalf of a disabled child under the age of 19 will not need to go through a financial means test.

  If you are not in receipt of an income related benefit, you will be required to give full details of your income and savings of your household. You will be guided through the assessment of finances and to assess if you will need to pay anything towards the work.

• What if I am not financially eligible for a DFG?

  The assessment of financial means may determine that you are not financially eligible for a DFG, or your contribution towards adaptation works would be greater than the cost of the actual work. In these circumstances, the Integrated Housing Adaptations Team (IHAT) will look to see if any alternative assistance is available to help you. We have a self-funding pack to provide guidance on how to initiate, plan, design, organise, and oversee adaptation work and signpost you to further assistance available.

• The 5 keys stages

  There are 5 key stages of delivering a home adaptation.

  Stage 1 - First contact with services for infomation and advice.

  Stage 2 - Assessment of needs and identification of works required. 

  Stage 3 - Application forms and eligibility information gathered.

  Stage 4 - Grant application processes, works required confirmed and proceeds to approval. 

  Stage 5 - Approval of grant is processed, and works are completed. Once confirmed as satisfactory, payments are made. 

• Further detail about the 5 stages

  Once you have completed the referral form, it will be allocated to an Occupational Therapist, Assistant Practitioner or Trusted Assessor depending upon the complexity and priority of need. There is typically a waiting list at this stage, and you will be contacted to arrange a suitable time for an assessment. 

  In the meantime, an officer from the Integrated Housing Adaptations Team (IHAT) at the Council will contact you to progress financial means testing where applicable. This is an initial preliminary means test, which aims to capture a summary of your income and savings to identify at an early stage whether you are financially eligible for a DFG and whether you may have a contribution to make towards the adaptation work.  We may identify an opportunity to assist you by alternative means such as using our Handyperson+ Service, trialling equipment, or referral to another service which can offer alternative or additional support.

  At a later stage in the DFG application process, you will confirm all financial information and provide three months of bank statements. Please be advised that any contribution amount payable by you could vary from the initial preliminary means test outcome dependent upon financial information provided at that time. 

  If it is determined to not be reasonable or practicable to adapt your property, or if landlord consent for the adaptation work is not given, the IHAT may be able to assist you in identifying alternative options available to you.

• How long will the process take?

  The length of time a grant takes to process can vary, depending on:
   

  • The urgency and complexity of your needs.
  • Waiting times for an assessment by an Occupational Therapist.
  • The nature and complexity of work required.
  • Time taken to obtain landlord/owner consent (where applicable).
  • Availability of contractors, building supplies and equipment and the need to order any bespoke or specialist materials or equipment.
  • How quickly you can provide the required information.
  • Whether additional permissions are required such as planning permission.
• What happens after the assessment?

  After the assessment by an Occupational Therapist, Assistant Practitioner or Trusted Assessor, a formal recommendation of need will be provided. The IHAT will use the recommendation to determine whether the work is reasonable and practicable to carry out. An officer will visit to observe the property, take measurements, and identify options to meet the recommendation. A schedule of work will be provided which must be used to obtain quotes from building contractors to price for the work. The contractor submitting the lowest price for the scheduled work will be chosen unless you choose to pay the difference for the alternate contractor.

  The following two routes are now available to you:

  1. You may choose to complete your own grant application form and required documentation, which will need to be submitted with your application. You may then appoint your own building contractor to undertake the recommended adaptation work, make your own arrangements to progress your application and project manage the work. You will need to submit at least two quotes for work under £20,000 or three quotes on work exceeding £20,000.
  2. You can choose to appoint a Care and Repair Officer to assist you with the grant application process, completion of forms and oversight of the adaptation work for you. There is a charge for this service, which is 15% of the total cost of the grant. In most cases, this service charge may be covered by the grant, and you will have no additional costs to pay. A Care and Repair Officer will be able to:

  • Help you complete application forms.
  • Help you to find alternative funding such as charitable funding, if the DFG will not cover the full cost of the adaptation work/equipment.
  • Advise on other assistance/services available.
  • Obtain quotes for the adaptation work/equipment. The Council has an Agreed Price Scheme Agreement with local contractors, which can speed up the quotation process.
  • Oversee and project manage the work through to completion.
  • Help resolve any problems during works.
• What happens once my grant has been approved?

  When the adaptation schedule of work, pricing, and contractor have been agreed, and all completed DFG application forms have been received and checked, the grant will be ready to be approved. Works cannot commence until the grant has been approved by the Housing Standards Manager. A DFG cannot be paid retrospectively to work already started or completed. Once approved, the chosen contractor will be contacted to arrange a start date for the work to begin. 

  The timespan to complete works depends upon how busy the contractor is, but for a straightforward adaptation such as a stairlift or level access shower, we would hope to be finished in 1 to 2 months after the grant has been approved. For more complex works, such as extensions, it’s likely to be 4 to 6 months following approval. All work should be completed within 12 months of the approval date.

• How do I pay the contractor(s)?

  If you have a financial contribution to pay towards the adaptation work, you must pay this to the Council before a work start date can be arranged.  The cost of the adaptation work will then be paid by the Council directly to the contractor.

• What happens when the work is completed?

  On completion of adaptation works, an officer will carry out a final inspection to ensure the quality and ask you to sign a satisfactory completion form. If you are not completely satisfied at this stage, speak with your case officer, and agree a resolution of works.

• Do any conditions apply?

  A local land charge condition will be applied to all DFGs where the property is owner occupied. This means that where the grant exceeds £5,000, a local land charge will be placed on the property. The land charge is limited to a maximum of £10,000, which will become due if the property is sold or otherwise disposed of within 10 years of completion of adaptation works.

• Who will be responsible for maintenance?

  Once any guarantee for the work has expired, you will be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance. Your Occupational Therapist or Care and Repair Officer will be able to give you advice on setting up servicing and maintenance arrangements. This is to ensure that the adaptation stays in good working order and is safe to use.

• What other discretionary assistance is available?

  The Council has adopted an Independent Living Assistance Policy which introduced several discretionary grants which may be able to assist if you are not eligible for a DFG.

• Where can I find out more information about DFGs?

  Information outlining the law relating to DFGs is published by the Government.

  For further information about DFG and home adaptations please refer to Foundations (the National Body for Home Improvement Agencies in England).