Changes to your home and specialist equipment - Disabled Facilities Grant

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 you get depends on:

• Household income 
• Household savings over £6000

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.

How you’ll be paid

You’ll be paid either:

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

We may pay the contractor directly or give you a cheque to pass on to them. We'll agree this with you when they approve your application.

When you’ll be paid

You’ll be paid either:

• When we're happy with the finished work
• When you send us the invoice, demand or receipt for payment from the contractor

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 period (which is currently 5 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 might not get any grant if you start work on your property before the council approves your application. 

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:

• Go to the needs assessment page

Under 18

If the assessment is for a person under 18:

• Go to the assessments for children with a disability page