Disabled facilities grants

A Disabled Facilities Grant is given to help towards the cost of adapting your home to enable you to continue to live there. A grant is paid when we consider that changes are necessary to meet your needs, and that the work is reasonable and practical.

Your questions answered

Who is eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant?

You can claim 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 or tenant (including licensees) of the property;
• you can certify that you, or the person on whose behalf you are applying, intend 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.

What can I use the Disabled Facilities Grant for?

A grant can be used for essential adaptations to give you better freedom of movement into and around your home and/or to provide essential facilities within it.

If you are disabled, acceptable types of work include:

• widening doors and installing ramps;
• providing or improving access to rooms and facilities - for example, by installing a stair lift or providing a downstairs bathroom;
• improving or providing a heating system which is suitable for your needs;
• adapting heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use;
• improving access to and movement around the home to enable you to care for another person who lives in the property, such as a child.

If the changes you request aren't considered to be practical or reasonable, alternative solutions can be discussed with the Disability Services team.

How do I apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant?

You must first phone our Disability Services team on 0161-253-6858. They will arrange to carry out an assessment of your needs.

If you require any adaptations the Disability Services team will recommend that you receive a Disabled Facilities Grant.

Six Town Housing tenants do not need to make an application for a grant, the application will be made for you.

How much is a Disabled Facilities Grant?

The amount paid is usually based on a financial assessment (a 'means test') of your average weekly income in relation to your outgoings. However, 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/or 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.

A range of premiums and allowances is used for all essential outgoings. For example, rent/mortgage and personal expenditure. Actual outgoings are not taken into consideration.

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 what size loan you could contribute towards the cost of the works;
• if this assessed loan amount is less than the cost of the works, the difference between the two is paid as a Disabled Facilities Grant.

Maximum grant amount

The maximum amount of grant that a council is required to pay is £30,000 per application less any assessed contribution from you. If the cost of the eligible works is more, the council can use discretionary powers to increase the amount.

Affect on other benefits

A Disabled Facilities Grant will not affect any benefits you are currently receiving.

What happens next?

Once our Disability Services team have referred you for a grant the following steps should be taken.

• We will carry out a financial assessment (means test).
• We will carry out an inspection of your home and provide you with a schedule of changes to be made.
• You will obtain estimates for the changes to be carried out.
• You will obtain planning consents or Building Regulations approval.
• You will make a formal application.
• We will approve the grant.
• Your contractors will carry out the changes and complete the project.

It is important that you do not start work until we send you a formal written grant approval.

How long does it take to get an adaptation?

There is no set timescale for how long it will take to get an adaptation. It will depend on how quickly you return your completed application to us.

The law states that we must consider your application and either approve or refuse it within six months from the date on which the full and complete grant application is made. However, we understand the need to ensure that adaptations are delivered as soon as possible and when we receive a fully completed application we will aim to approve the grant within one month.

Can I get any help in completing my Disabled Facilities Grant application?

If you experience delays in getting estimates or completing your application forms you should notify us as soon as possible. We may be able to assist you to obtain estimates and help you complete the application form.

You could also consider using an agency service to assist you. If you are considering this option must contact us for advice on the level of fees that may be included as part of a grant, before they employ the agent.

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