Home adaptations – disabled facilities grants

Adapting your home

Before considering major adaptations, you must first try low level equipment.

If you can evidence that these do not meet your needs, you may be eligible for a disabled facilities grant (DFG) to make necessary adaptations.

Who can apply for a disabled facilities grant?

You can apply for a DFG if you:

• are disabled or live with a disabled person
• own your home or are a landlord or tenant (with permission from the property owner)
• intend to live in the property for the duration of the grant period (usually 5 years, but shorter in some cases, such as for terminal illness)

Adaptations you can make

A grant can help pay for adaptations to make your home safer and easier to access. Making it easier to:

• get in and out of your home
• access essential rooms (bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen)
• use the toilet, bath, or shower
• prepare and cook food
• move around your home to care for another person
• access your garden

Installing or improving:

• heating systems
• lighting, power, and heating controls
• home security and safety features

We will not consider an extension if existing space in your home (including outbuildings and garages) can be adapted.

If you choose adaptations beyond those deemed necessary by an occupational therapist, you will need to fund the additional costs yourself.

Direct adaptations and adaptable equipment

We may install adaptations directly or provide adaptable equipment, including:

• bathroom adaptations – grab rails, walk-in showers, wet rooms
• kitchen adaptations – lower work surfaces, accessible appliances
• bedroom adaptations – hoists, ramps
• external adaptations – ramps, handrails

Funding

The amount of disabled facilities grant you receive depends on your income and savings. This is assessed through a financial means test.

How much funding is available?

• funding will cover the recommended works only, this will be paid directly to the contractors and is up to a maximum grant of £30,000
• we do not offer discretionary DFGs
• any amount above £30,000 must be paid by the applicant
• if the DFG is for a child under 19, and you receive Child Benefit for them, you will not have to contribute to the cost

To check your eligibility, visit the Foundations means test calculator.

Arranging an assessment?

To apply for a disabled facilitiesgGrant, you must be assessed by an occupational therapist (OT). The OT will determine:

• whether adaptations are necessary and appropriate
• what changes are recommended

We will only act on recommendations made by an OT.

If adaptations are needed, the Adaptations team will review your case and explore the best solutions.

In some cases, council tenants may be eligible for a transfer to a more suitable home instead of making adaptations.

How to apply

Contact us to arrange a disabled facilities grant assessment:

• for adults (18+ years) – go to our contact us page in myAccount
• for children (under 19 years) – contact The Lighthouse 

Once we receive the occupational therapist’s recommendations, we will send you the necessary paperwork.

After submitting your initial enquiry form, we will confirm whether you are likely to receive funding.

Conditions attached to the grant

If the disabled facilities grant is used for an extension, the council will apply a local land charge of up to £10,000. This charge lasts for 10 years from the date of grant completion. If you sell your home within 10 years, you must repay the full land charge amount (no interest).