Disabled facilities grant for home adaptations

If you are disabled, or someone living with you is disabled, a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) may help pay for your home to be adapted.

This could be a wet room or stair lift which helps you to remain living in your home independently.

If you foster a disabled child long term you may be eligible to apply.

This leaflet gives you some general information about the grant process.

If you are a Council tenant your adaptation will be funded in another way and you should contact 01708 432000.

Step 1 - Assessment of need

The first step in the process is for your Occupational Therapist (OT) to carry out an assessment of your needs.

If a DFG appears to be relevant for you, your OT will make a recommendation about the adaptations needed to meet your needs.

Step 2 - Application form and financial assessment

Once the recommended adaptations are agreed, the OT will pass this information to the Grants Team to process.

The Grants Team will contact you directly with an application form to complete which includes a financial assessment in some cases.

You will qualify automatically for a grant without an assessment, if the grant is for a child or you/ partner receive any of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Income Support
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance not contribution-based ESA alone
• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance not contribution based JSA alone
• Guarantee Pension Credit not Savings Pension Credit alone
• Working Tax Credit and/or Child Tax Credit where your annual income for the purposes of Tax Credits assessments was below £15,050
• Housing Benefit

If you do not receive any of the above benefits you will need to provide financial information asked for in the application pack.

The Grants Team will carry out a means test based on this information to see if you have any contribution to make towards the costs of the works.

You can check yourself if you are eligible for a grant using an online calculator from Foundations UK.

If you need help to complete the application form, please contact the team on 01708 434070.

Step 3 - Getting quotes

Obtaining quotes has to be done using a detailed list of the work needed, known as a schedule of work.

For some types of adaptations we will get the quotes for you. For other works, we require you to obtain them.

The schedule of work will be given to you to pass to the contractor.

We are able to provide you with a list of contractors, however you are entitled to find your own provided they are suitably qualified and experienced.

You can ask the contractor to do extra work at your own expense but they must not include this in their quote for the grant works.

For more complex adaptations, an architect may also be needed.

Step 4 - Grant approval

We must give you a decision on your grant application within six months of receiving a fully completed application form along with any supporting documents.

Do not start work before formal approval is given. If you do you won’t be eligible for a grant.

Step 5 - Start of works

Once the grant is approved it is your responsibility to arrange for the works to start with the chosen contractor.

The grant is valid for 12 months so work must have started within this timescale.

Step 6 - Completion and payment

You will need to sign a completion certificate, confirming you are satisfied with the works.

The completion certificate and invoice should be sent to the Grants Team.

The grant will then be paid.

If you have a contribution to make, you pay this directly to the contractor once the work is complete.

An interim payment can be paid for larger works.

When any manufacturer’s warranty for the work has expired you will be responsible for the up-keep of the adaptation.

Once the grant is paid, if you have any queries you should contact the contractor who carried out the work and not The Council.

More information and help with grants

For more information about the grants available please look at our Housing Grants and Assistance Policy or if you want to speak to someone about a grant please call 01708 434070 or email grants@havering.gov.uk.