Find out more about the Discretionary Assistance Fund. Find out more about Family Action educational grants. Local authorities should inform applicants when it may be in their best interests to proceed with an application even where it is clear that their contribution will exceed the costs of the work. Local authorities cannot make charges for processing grant applications or for responding to enquiries. B10. The scheme is delivered by Care and Repair Cymru (www.careandrepair.org.uk/en/). repayment of the grant would cause financial hardship; the move is related to their physical or mental health or well-being; or. They may, for example, choose whether to look at your income and savings when you apply for a grant. Government Grants for Individuals with Disabilities Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. Find out more about how to apply for assistance. For the purposes of a DFG application a person is disabled if: B6. Speed up the acquisition of assistive technology on behalf of a disabled person by avoiding some of the procedural requirements associated with Disabled Facilities Grants. Charities and Trusts provide funding towards the high cost of disability equipment, holidays, housing, days outin fact anything above and beyond the normal costs of everyday living. 4.6 To ensure the quality and consistency of response, local authorities should consider establishing a one-stop shop to channel the majority of initial enquiries or referrals to a preferred point of access, for example, a social services contact centre, or an agency service. 3.9 Through local Better Care Fund plans, health, and social care authorities are required to agree a joined-up approach to health, social care and housing support to improve outcomes for residents. Where can I find grants and loans for the disabled? Characteristics of a dementia-friendly community include, but are not limited to: There should be a range of housing options and tenures available to people with dementia, including mainstream and specialist housing. It might be that your boiler has broken down, or maybe you need a plumber to fix a leak in your house. If a grant is initially awarded for an amount of less than 5,000 the applicant must be consulted before the grant is revised if it would result in a charge being placed. B78. 6.9 When an applicant has selected a suitable contractor and the grant has been approved, authorities should consider how to ensure a good working relationship is established. It was founded in 1965. they have a mental disorder or impairment of any kind, they are physically substantially disabled by illness, injury or impairment, they are an adult who is or could be registered under, they are a child or young person registered under, Who has to sign the required certificate containing information about the future occupation of the property (certificate of future occupation); and. In addition, the benefits to the entity from the works must last for more than one accounting period (i.e. 2.35 Housing association tenants now account for around 22% of all grants approved. As a matter of good practice, the client should be involved in decision making throughout the process and the outcome of all discussions and agreements must be well documented. Grants for home adaptations if you're disabled All local authorities must provide a grant to help adapt a house to allow a disabled person to access standard amenities such as a toilet, bath, shower or sink. Paragraph: 012 Reference ID: 63-012-20190626. Glasspool supports a wide variety of individuals, couples and families. Local planning authorities can encourage the development of more affordable models and make use of products like shared ownership. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. They have a variety of programs that are designed to ensure your basic needs are being met, including helping with housing, food, and more. Home About us Advice and support Campaigns Get involved News and stories Home Advice and support Disability grants for home adaptations Disability grants for home adaptations Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) Local authorities and small adaptations Housing association grants National Health Service (NHS) whether the sale is due to an employment related relocation; whether the sale is connected with the physical or mental health or well-being of the grant recipient or of a disabled occupant of the premises; and. 6.15 Establishing and maintaining a list of accredited contractors, hosting pre-start meetings, and signing formal contracts should minimise the requirement for ongoing supervision of building works on site. Grants should also be available to reinstate a house which has been adapted. someone with a physical disability could not safely escape in the event of a fire. It is important that any assessment should recognise a disabled childs changing developmental need and his or her progress towards maximum independence. Under section 16(1) of the Local Government Act 2003, capital expenditure for a local authority is expenditure of the authority which falls to be capitalised in accordance with proper practices (though this is subject to 16(2)). A DFG is available to fund facilities for a disabled person living or intending to live in a: B8. B12. 5.16 An applicant can be passported through the means test if they are already in receipt of means tested welfare benefits. This evidence should be collected with the application form. Funding must be spent in accordance with Better Care Fund plans which are agreed between local government and local health commissioners, and owned by the Health and Wellbeing Board. their sight, hearing or speech is substantially impaired. Guidance for local authorities is provided in, The Northern Ireland Housing executive website has information about these at, Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002, Guidance on the provision of equipment and adaptations, www.nihe.gov.uk/Housing-Help/Grants/Types-of-grants-available, Your rights to accessible and adaptable housing (EHRC guides). The owners application must be accompanied by an owners certificate in respect of the dwelling to which the application relates, or in the case of a common parts application, in respect of each flat in the building occupied or proposed to be occupied by a disabled applicant which confirms that they: B19. For more complex home adaptations, including those involving applications for bespoke extensions to existing dwellings, these can substantially exceed the upper limit in some cases. What is a disabled facilities grant. Be careful around leases. It is not recommended to include a contingency sum within every grant approval as it will make it more difficult to estimate the overall amount of funding committed and require every approval to be redetermined when the works are completed. More information will be provided in the Armed Forces Covenant Duty statutory guidance to be published in 2022. Linking Help with Hope offers help to people who are ill and/or disabled. 6.10 Authorities should consider holding a pre-start meeting to properly introduce the client and contractor, discuss the sequence of events, any other considerations, who to contact if there is a problem and sign the building contract. Residents are able to live independently with 24 hour access to support services and staff, and meals are also available. For example, it can't say it will never give any grants, and it must take your individual circumstances into account if you apply for help. 4.19 The provision of clear, concise, easy to understand and readily accessible information is a vital aspect of providing a good service. Automated door openers to allow easy access to the residence, Stair and platform lifts to help people with mobility impairments traverse steps, Adapted and height adjustable cooking surfaces, Ceiling track hoists to help people with mobility impairments to transfer from a wheelchair or armchair to bed, Smart lighting that can be remotely turned on and off, made brighter or dimmed, change colour and synchronise with other devices, Smart thermostats that can automatically learn user temperature preferences and self-adjust when users leave or enter a room, and be remotely controlled via a smart phone or another device. Your local authority must publish a policy explaining what kind of help they may give, who can get it, what information is available, how to apply for it and how to complain. Benefits offer more regular financial support. Housing assistance can be short or long term and can vary depending on the needs of the person and/or household. Replacement grant are only available where: a home is unfit to live and. Well review it again next year. the relevant works are either small or very specialised; there is a known difficulty in finding contractors willing to undertake particular kinds of work; or. Anyone under 18 years of age. B99. If youve been assessed by your local council as needing care and support services, you may want to choose Direct Payments. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. Under this provision, special considerations for veterans may be justified in some circumstances. The main benefits you may be entitled to depending on your age, disabilities and situation. For counties, it is good practice for district councils to collaborate in aligning their policies to provide a consistent approach. Its available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 7.1 According to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the term assistive technology refers to products or systems that support and assist individuals with disabilities, restricted mobility or other impairments to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. 7.2 Assistive technologies enable people to live healthy, productive, independent and dignified lives. People with disability in Australia, Housing assistance - Australian The level of specification should be appropriate to the job. It could be by providing details of builders who can carry out the work, or by providing free or low cost surveys, or advice on carrying out repairs, buy a new home if it decides that this would be a better way of improving your living conditions than carrying out work on your current home. A local authority must give you a disabled facilities grant if you meet the conditions for getting one. Adapt heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use. Find out more about Family Action educational grants. Where the relevant works have been judged to be necessary and appropriate, the housing authority then has to consider whether it is reasonable and practicable to carry out the works having regard to the age and condition of the property. B54. their ability to carry out the works to a good standard and in good time; and. In addition, a local authority might have policies which don't allow other types of discrimination such as discrimination against older people. 4.8 Common training on an ongoing basis should be provided for those dealing with enquiries and referrals to ensure a consistent and appropriate service is provided. B76. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. Birmingham B29 6NA. Let us know, Copyright 2023 Citizens Advice. Local authorities should consider the most appropriate way to provide smart technology where it is not part of a larger adaptation, and whether an application for DFG is the most cost effective way to do so. Financial help if you're disabled: Home and housing - GOV.UK In some cases, these developments are known as retirement communities or villages - the intention is for residents to benefit from varying levels of care as time progresses. is satisfied that it is reasonable in all the circumstances to require the repayment. Guides councils in preparing planning policies on housing for older and disabled people. B87. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. In mid-2016 there were 1.6 million people aged 85 and over; by mid-2041 this is projected to double to 3.2 million. An owner-occupier or landlord would usually need to have, or 1996/2890), Code of Practice to the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Act to Adapt: Access to home adaptations for people with motor neurone disease, Adaptations without delay: A guide to planning and delivering home adaptations differently, Adapted homes, empowered lives: A report on home aids and adaptations, Care Act 2014: Guidance for occupational therapists - Disabled Facilities Grants, Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic people in housing, Making a house a home: Local authorities and disabled adaptations, Meeting the home adaptation needs of older people, Construction of an extension to an existing dwelling. 5.19 In developing specifications, authorities should consider the aesthetics of adaptations as well as functionality. The disabled person cannot access a room with a wash hand basin or cannot use the existing wash hand basin. This appendix sets out the legislation to help inform how a local authority makes decisions on DFG applications, including determining: B2. The DFG is a capital grant and authorities should also take into account their de-minimis limits and the ongoing costs of any maintenance or monitoring. This section of the guidance can help authorities to develop or review their policy. B41. Please see Appendix B paragraph B90 for more information on estimates for the cost of the eligible works. 1.11 This guidance is divided into 7 chapters, each offering advice for local authorities in areas important to local DFG delivery, underpinned by the legislation at Appendix B: The legislation. Registered office at 101 Pentonville Road, London N1 9LG. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. (6) Subject to the authority giving prior written notice in accordance with sub-paragraph (2)(b) or, as the case may be, (3)(a), the applicant agrees to afford, or to use his best endeavours to arrange for the affording of, reasonable access to the property to the authority or the social services authority for the purposes of inspection and removal of the equipment. Innovative and diverse housing models should be considered where appropriate. i) applications for listed building consent (including application fee and preparation of related documents). - projected costs of health and social care in the longer term. These factsheets will always be free, so that everyone who needs them can access them, no matter what! Last updated on 8 February 2021. 2.13 While the administration of DFGs is the responsibility of the local housing authority, it is important that other bodies and especially social services authorities and health commissioners, play a full and active part in strategic planning of home adaptations and related services. There is no restriction on successive applications for DFG on the same property. Find out more about the eligibility criteria and how to apply for a FNAIST grant. If the applicant is satisfied but the housing authority is not, the grant must not be paid until the defects are remedied to the authoritys satisfaction. (5) Where the authority approves a conversion application for a renovation grant, they may apply this condition to one or more only, or to a proportion, of the total number of dwellings to be provided by the conversion; provided that the dwellings, or the proportion of dwellings, in the house or other building and to which this condition is to apply shall be identified to the applicant in writing when the application is approved. However, your local authority can top up this up, as it can give you other help with home improvements (see under the heading Help with home improvements). The government intends to commence the remainder of section 36 of the Equality Act 2010 in England and Wales which will require landlords to make reasonable adjustments to the common parts of leasehold and commonhold homes, including hallways, entrances and stairs. 6.6 Authorities can also consider the use of Trustmark to give consumers greater confidence in choosing a building contractor. Any relevant matters from a Housing Assistance Policy can also be considered (see Chapter 3). 6.17 Contractors should be encouraged to develop a right first time approach, with no snagging items remaining upon completion. 2.14 Local housing authorities in England have strategic responsibilities to consider housing conditions in their area including the need for new housing under section 8 of the Housing Act 1985. Infrared controlled power sockets to switch devices on and off with a remote control, Automated light switches that can be activated using voice commands, a smart phone app, or via sensor triggered by movement or a timer. Grants for individual conditions and disabilities. Paragraph: 005 Reference ID: 63-005-20190626. This consent may be cited as the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996: Disabled Facilities Grant (Conditions relating to approval or payment of Grant) General Consent 2008 and shall come into force on 22 May 2008. Plan-making authorities can also identify sites suitable for senior co-housing communities as part of their overall assessment of land available for housing over the plan period. Foundations are the government appointed National Body for Home Improvement Agencies in England. Glasspool is a UK-wide charity offering financial support to lots of different people in need. Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Identifying the housing requirements of older and disabled people, National Planning Policy Framework glossary, Strategic Housing for Older People Analysis Tool (SHOP@), Self-build and custom-build legislation 2015, Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment report, Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) report. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. The provision of a new room usable for sleeping should only be undertaken if the authority is satisfied that the adaptation of an existing room in the dwelling (upstairs or downstairs) or the access to that room is unsuitable in the particular circumstances. The provision of facilities for strip washing is not an acceptable alternative to an appropriate bathroom. Improve access to rooms and facilities, for example, stairlifts or a downstairs bathroom. This funding is primarily for the provision of home adaptations to help people to live independently, so it is important for any local Housing Assistance Policy to clearly set out what additional adaptations assistance is to be provided. Help other disabled people by sharing! The service offered varies but normally covers help in diagnosing issues, identifying solutions, assisting in raising money to cover the costs (including grant applications), selecting a builder, and ensuring that work is carried out properly.