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Adaptations to your home and special equipment - Disabled Facilities Grant

Changes to your home and specialist equipment - Disabled Facilities Grant

You could get a grant from us if you’re disabled and need to make changes to your home, for example to: 

  • Widen doors and install ramps
  • Improve access to rooms and facilities - eg stairlifts
  • Adapt heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use
   

A Disabled Facilities Grant won’t affect any benefits you get.

Deciding which adaptations and equipment you need

An occupational therapist will come to your home and meet you to assess your needs. This will help them decide the types of adaptations and equipment would help you the most. The occupational therapist will make a referral for proposed adaptations. 

Once we receive the referral we will come and visit you to go through your application. We will look to make adaptations within the existing structure of your property.

Adaptations under £1000

Adaptations that are under £1000 are funded by us.

Adaptations over £1000

For adaptations that total over £1000 you'll need to Apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)

What you'll get

How much grant you get depends on:

  • Household income 
  • Household savings over £6000
  • Work needed

The most you can get is £30,000. If the amount you'll need is higher than this, the application will need to be reviewed.

Depending on your income, you may need to pay towards the cost of the work to the property.

Disabled children and young people under 18

Disabled children and young people under 18 can get a grant without their parents income being taken into account.

Finding a contractor

  • We will go out to tender on your behalf for the work needed
  • A contractor will be appointed
  • The contract of work will be between yourself and the contractor
  • Once the work has been completed, you’ll have a 12-month warranty
     

How the money will be paid

The money will be paid to the appointed contractor on satisfactory completion of the works and sign off.

The money will be paid either:

  • In instalments - as the work progresses
  • In full - when the work is finished

Normally, if you (or a relative) does the work the council will only accept invoices for materials or services you’ve bought.

You or someone living in your property must be disabled. Either you or the person you’re applying for must:

  • Own the property or be a tenant
  • Intend to live in the property during the grant condition period (which is currently 10 years)

You can also apply for a grant if you’re a landlord and have a disabled tenant.

The council needs to be happy that the work is:

  • Necessary and appropriate to meet the disabled person’s needs
  • Reasonable and can be done - depending on the age and condition of the property
 

You will not get any grant if you start work on your property before the council approves your application or for any works already completed. 

To find out more about more read the Disabled Facilities Grant policy (PDF document).

Planning and building regulations approval

You need to apply separately for any planning permission or building regulations approval.

The council may ask you to employ a qualified architect or surveyor to plan and oversee the work. If you get a grant, you can use it towards the cost of their fees.

You'll need an assessment first to see if you're eligible for support from us. 

Over 18

If the assessment is for a person over 18:

Under 18

If the assessment is for a person under 18:

 

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