What is a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)?
If you or someone in your home is registered or could be registered as disabled you may be entitled to a grant to help make your home more suitable for the person to manage more independently. Your financial circumstances will be taken into account to assess if you are eligible and permission will need to be obtained from the owner of the property before an application can be considered (applications on behalf of a child or young person will not be means tested).
The types of work that are eligible for DFGs include:
1. making it easier to get into and out of the dwelling by, for example, widening doors and installing ramps;
2. ensuring the safety of the disabled person and other occupants by, for example, providing a specially adapted room in which it would be safe to leave a disabled person unattended or improved lighting to ensure better visibility;
3. making access easier to the living room;
4. providing or improving access to the bedroom, and kitchen toilet, washbasin and bath (and/or shower) facilities; for example, by installing a stair lift or providing a downstairs bathroom;
5. improving or providing a heating system in the home which is suitable to the needs of the disabled person;
6. adapting heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use; and
7. improving access and movement around the home to enable the disabled person to care for another person who lives in the property, such as a spouse, child or another person for whom the disabled person cares.
8.facilitating access to and from a garden by a disabled occupant or make access to a garden safe for a disabled occupant.
Social Services (via Havering Direct) will arrange for an Occupational Therapist to visit your home to check what works are necessary and appropriate to meet the needs of the disabled occupant. The Housing Grants Team will also need to be satisfied that the works are reasonable and practical.
How do I apply for a DFG?
You can get help and advice on whether you are likely to be eligible for a grant, and if so how to apply, by contacting the Housing Grants Team by phone 01708 434070 or email grants@havering.gov.uk. The Housing Grants Team will be able to check if you may be eligible for a grant by asking about your financial circumstances and a preliminary means test may be carried out at this stage. A DFG Application Form will then be sent to you and you will advised to contact Havering Direct (Social Services) to register your details and join their waiting list for an Occupational Therapy Assessment. Havering Direct can be contacted on 01708 432000.
Please note: Grant applications will not be considered for any works which have already been started or completed. If you need more explanation of this rule then please contact the Housing Grants Team.
How will I be assessed?
Social Services will arrange for an Occupational Therapist to visit you at home to assess what your disability needs are. They then recommend to the Housing Grants Team what work is considered by them to be necessary. Housing Services then decides whether it is reasonable and practical to carry out the suggested work. In certain circumstances it may be that your needs can be best met by moving home and a grant may be available to assist with some of the legal and technical costs of this.
Will I have to pay anything towards the cost?
All adult applicants together with their partner (if any) will be means tested to determine whether they will be required to contribute to the cost of some or all of the works. The means test takes into account all your income and savings, so we will need to ask you about your financial circumstances and those of the people who live with you. No means test will be carried out if you are applying for a grant on behalf of a child under 16 years or a young person over 16 years but under 20 years and in full time education (up to A level standard).
The maximum grant is £30,000 so you will be required to pay a shortfall if the cost of works exceeds this limit. Any shortfall payable will be in addition to any contribution you are assessed to pay under the means test.
Local Land Charge for DFG over £5,000 (from April 2010)
For grants over £5,000, a local land charge will be registered to your property when work is complete.
This means that IF you sell or transfer ownership of your property within 10 years of the completion date of your grant AND the grant is over £5,000 then the Council may seek repayment of any amount above £5,000 up to a maximum of £10,000. However it is important to note that the Council can waive this repayment if it would cause you financial hardship or if you need to sell your property because of your disability.
If you are concerned about this condition and would like more information please contact the Housing Grants Officer who will be happy to explain in more detail.
This does not apply to you if your grant is under £5,000.
Disabled Facilities Grants - DFG
What is a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)?
If you or someone in your home is registered or could be registered as disabled you may be entitled to a grant to help make your home more suitable for the person to manage more independently. Your financial circumstances will be taken into account to assess if you are eligible and permission will need to be obtained from the owner of the property before an application can be considered (applications on behalf of a child or young person will not be means tested).
The types of work that are eligible for DFGs include:
1. making it easier to get into and out of the dwelling by, for example, widening doors and installing ramps;
2. ensuring the safety of the disabled person and other occupants by, for example, providing a specially adapted room in which it would be safe to leave a disabled person unattended or improved lighting to ensure better visibility;
3. making access easier to the living room;
4. providing or improving access to the bedroom, and kitchen toilet, washbasin and bath (and/or shower) facilities; for example, by installing a stair lift or providing a downstairs bathroom;
5. improving or providing a heating system in the home which is suitable to the needs of the disabled person;
6. adapting heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use; and
7. improving access and movement around the home to enable the disabled person to care for another person who lives in the property, such as a spouse, child or another person for whom the disabled person cares.
8.facilitating access to and from a garden by a disabled occupant or make access to a garden safe for a disabled occupant.
Social Services (via Havering Direct) will arrange for an Occupational Therapist to visit your home to check what works are necessary and appropriate to meet the needs of the disabled occupant. The Housing Grants Team will also need to be satisfied that the works are reasonable and practical.
How do I apply for a DFG?
You can get help and advice on whether you are likely to be eligible for a grant, and if so how to apply, by contacting the Housing Grants Team by phone 01708 434070 or email grants@havering.gov.uk. The Housing Grants Team will be able to check if you may be eligible for a grant by asking about your financial circumstances and a preliminary means test may be carried out at this stage. A DFG Application Form will then be sent to you and you will advised to contact Havering Direct (Social Services) to register your details and join their waiting list for an Occupational Therapy Assessment. Havering Direct can be contacted on 01708 432000.
Please note: Grant applications will not be considered for any works which have already been started or completed. If you need more explanation of this rule then please contact the Housing Grants Team.
How will I be assessed?
Social Services will arrange for an Occupational Therapist to visit you at home to assess what your disability needs are. They then recommend to the Housing Grants Team what work is considered by them to be necessary. Housing Services then decides whether it is reasonable and practical to carry out the suggested work. In certain circumstances it may be that your needs can be best met by moving home and a grant may be available to assist with some of the legal and technical costs of this.
Will I have to pay anything towards the cost?
All adult applicants together with their partner (if any) will be means tested to determine whether they will be required to contribute to the cost of some or all of the works. The means test takes into account all your income and savings, so we will need to ask you about your financial circumstances and those of the people who live with you. No means test will be carried out if you are applying for a grant on behalf of a child under 16 years or a young person over 16 years but under 20 years and in full time education (up to A level standard).
The maximum grant is £30,000 so you will be required to pay a shortfall if the cost of works exceeds this limit. Any shortfall payable will be in addition to any contribution you are assessed to pay under the means test.
Local Land Charge for DFG over £5,000 (from April 2010)
For grants over £5,000, a local land charge will be registered to your property when work is complete.
This means that IF you sell or transfer ownership of your property within 10 years of the completion date of your grant AND the grant is over £5,000 then the Council may seek repayment of any amount above £5,000 up to a maximum of £10,000. However it is important to note that the Council can waive this repayment if it would cause you financial hardship or if you need to sell your property because of your disability.
If you are concerned about this condition and would like more information please contact the Housing Grants Officer who will be happy to explain in more detail.
This does not apply to you if your grant is under £5,000.
Home improvements - disability facility grant for a private property
Home improvements - disability facility grant for a private property