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Disabled Facilities Grants
Disabled Facilities Grants for home adaptations
Update February 2024
Can you think of anything that has stayed the same price since 2008? I can’t either! One thing that has remained the same is the Disabled Facilities Grant – the cap in 2008 was £30,000 and it’s just the same today. Which amounts to a real terms cut of a third.
An external review commissioned by the government recommended in 2018 that the upper limit should rise in line with inflation, but a commitment to do this has quietly gone away.
Wetrooms and stairlifts are popular adaptations
Focused on enabling disabled people to live independently in their own home, Disabled Facilities Grants are frequently used for adaptations such as converting a bathroom to a wetroom or installing a stairlift.
With the chronic shortage of accessible housing, this support for adaptations is vital. But according to evidence from the Local Government Association (LGA) to the Parliamentary Levelling Up committee, £30,000 is “now insufficient for most major building work costs”.
DFG review undertaken in 2021
It was identified that the upper limit on grants was too restrictive, and although the amount of money central government provided had gone up, local authorities had reduced their contribution, something that result was no extra adaptations being funded.
The means test is also complicated and out of alignment with that for other social care charges.
The situation on funding is even more acute now.
You can read about the government’s undertakings to improve DFGs here
Update – September 2023
The government has announced an additional £50 million this year for home adaptations. Part of the plan to reform adult social care, the money is the first tranche of a £102 million investment over two years that should help local authorities to provide additional services that are agile, make minor adaptations quickly and support speedier hospital discharge.
Disabled Facilities Grants are the mechanism through which this local authority support for independence is provided.
Click to go straight to more information on:
• What you need to know about DFGs
Announcing the funding, Minister for Adult Social Care, Helen Whately, said:
If you’re older or living with a disability, a well-adapted home gives you independence and safety.
Living in your own home can be impossible after illness or injury without changes like wheelchair ramps, handrails or a stairlift.
This new funding will help thousands more people have homes fit for their needs – and faster. When time is of the essence, this fund will help local authorities do urgent and smaller-scale adaptations more quickly.
Sometimes all that stands in the way of a patient going home from hospital is a simple home adaptation – so this is good news for patients and hospitals too. It’ll mean more people can recover from a hospital stay at home, and more NHS beds for patients who need them.
Bill Lee, Head of Policy and Compliance at the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), had this to say:
“Any additional funding for vital home adaptations is to be welcomed, it will mean more people can live better, longer and more independent lives at home, rather than in health or social care settings. There is a tremendous opportunity for the Government to go even further and work with UK home adaptation businesses to harness innovations and technology quickly to reduce preventable hospital admissions and improve care at home. With an ageing population, relieving pressure on the UK’s tightly stretched health and social care infrastructure has never been more important! The BHTA’s stairlift, home lift, independent living, and home adaptation companies are key partners and stand ready to help ensure this additional funding drives the best results.”
DFGs – a cost-effective intervention
Currently, some 50,000 people a year receive a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to adapt their home, make it safe and accessible. Since 2010, there have been almost half a million home adaptions, backed by £4.8 billion in funding.
It is a very cost-effective intervention, which helps to reduce hospital admissions and speed up discharges; cut domiciliary care costs; and delay the necessity to move into residential care.
Research has found that people who have had grant-funded adaptations and subsequently move into care, do so some four years later than those who have not had adaptations carried out.
Yet older and disabled people who could be eligible are still often unaware of the existence of DFGs, and provision is patchy.
Many DFGs are delivered by Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs)
DFGs are awarded by local authorities, and more than half of the total are delivered by home improvement agencies (HIAs), also known as Care & Repair, a network of 200 organisations across England which are either based in local authorities or housing associations, or else function as standalone charities.
You can find your nearest branch by visiting the umbrella group website, Foundations (it will open in a new browser window)
The Disabled Facilities Grant became part of the Better Care Fund (BCF) in 2014.
Widening the scope of grant expenditure
In some areas, notably Knowsley, Cornwall, and Ealing in London, the joining-up of services through the BCF has led to significant beneficial results.
Some local authorities are now using this funding more innovatively, through a mechanism known as the Regulatory Reform Order 2002. This gives local authorities a general power to introduce policies to help people with repairs and adaptations to their homes, either through grants or loans.
Increasing the range of adaptations available under the Disabled Facilities Grants legislation is one way it can be used.
Some examples of DFG funds used flexibly to keep people safe and well at home
Hospital Discharge Grants can pay for the sort of tasks that can enable someone to be safely discharged after treatment. So this might be anything from boiler repairs to decluttering and deep cleaning.
They can be used for Safe and Secure Grants, supplied to low income homeowners and tenants, to pay for minor adaptations or repairs to reduce accidents and promote independence. Sometimes, Safe and Secure Grants are only available alongside a DFG.
Handyperson services can also be funded. Amongst the tasks commonly paid for are accident prevention checks and subsequent minor repairs; security checks and subsequent installation of locks, door chains and spy holes; small building repairs and adaptations.
Making homes dementia-friendly – the Prime Minister may have changed, but the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge is still ongoing. Using DFG funds to support people with dementia to live at home safely for as long as possible is one of the features of the programme.
If it isn’t possible to adapt a person’s home to make it safe and accessible for them, a relocation grant can help with moving to another, more suitable property.
Where the works proposed for a Disabled Facilities Grant cost more than the maximum allowed, the local authority may in some instances “top up” from other resources. In the past, this would mean a separate application with different criteria, but with the DFG integrated into the Better Care Fund, a single, streamlined application is possible.
What you need to know about DFGs
• You can apply for a grant to adapt your home, so that you can continue to live there.
• Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) are awarded by the local authority if they judge that your home needs adapting in order to meet your needs, and that the necessary works are both reasonable and practical.
• You can apply whether you are a homeowner or tenant; but you need to be able to certify that you intend to occupy the premises as your only, or main, residence throughout the grant period, which is currently five years.
• A landlord can apply on behalf of their tenant.
• Disabled Facilities Grants can be used to pay for works such as widening doorways and installing ramps for wheelchair access; improving or installing a suitable heating system; altering heating or lighting controls; providing access to bathroom facilities, either by means of a stair lift or a new ground floor bathroom; improving access to and around the home to make it easier to care for a disabled resident.
• An occupational therapist (OT) or someone with relevant expertise will visit your home to assess your needs and the adaptations required.
How much is a Disabled Facilities Grant?
• The amount of grant you get will vary, depending on your income, any savings, and what the council assesses as reasonable financial outgoings (actual expenditure is not considered). Unless you are applying for a grant in respect of a child who is under 19, in which case it will not be means-tested in this way.
• Savings under £6000 are disregarded. If you have a partner, your joint income will be assessed. Some benefits, such as Income Support and Disability Living Allowance, are also disregarded for the purpose of calculating the grant. The amount of grant could be anywhere from zero to 100% of the cost of the works.
• The maximum amount of Disabled Facilities Grant that councils are obliged to pay is £30,000 in England, per application, and £36,000 per application in Wales. They do have the discretion to pay more, if the eligible works cost more than this sum. In Scotland, there is a different system, and Scottish residents should contact their local social services department, to find out what grants are available.
• If you receive a Disabled Facilities Grant, it won’t have an effect on any other benefits you receive.
How to apply?
• To apply, contact the housing department or environmental health department at your local authority, and ask them to send you an application form. Not sure of your local authority? You can identify it by putting in your postcode on this page on the DirectGov website (external link will open in a new browser window) It is very important that you don’t start any work before you are awarded your grant. The council must give you a decision within 6 months of the date you apply. If the works are major, you will also need to apply for planning permission and/or building regulations approval.
• The grant may either be paid in full when the work has been satisfactorily completed, or it may be paid in instalments at agreed stages during the works. The council may give you a cheque, or pay the contractor directly. You agree these arrangements with the council at the outset.
Some key statistics about Disabled Facilities Grants
• about 50,000 people a year receive a grant to help adapt their home
• people aged over 60 account for 71% of grants
• 22% go to those aged between 20 and 60, and 7% to children and young people
• Most grants go to owner-occupiers (61%), followed by those in social housing (32%) and private rented accommodation (7%)
• The average grant is £7,255, with 58% at £5,000 or less
Article ends – click to return to top or check out related resources below
Further reading and resources
DFG analytics – benchmarking and measuring quality
Who is providing excellence in Disabled Facilities Grants? Check out the finalists for the Healthy Housing Awards here
More funds have been allocated to provision of DFGs – you can read about it here
How long should you wait for a DFG? Ombudsman’s judgement on Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
DFGs don’t always deliver as hoped – you can read one frustrated applicant’s experience here
209 Replies to “Disabled Facilities Grants”
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Hi I live in a private rented 2 bedroom house with my daughter and my husband. Would I receive a grant to convert our loft into a 3rd bedroom? I have FND and a lot of the time I have paralysis in my left leg which affects my sleep and sleep pattern my husband has to sleep on the couch most nights as in need the double bed to stretch out and try to get my leg into a comfortable position and also so I don’t disturb him all night when I’m in pain etc as he has to get up early to take our daughter to school. If we had a third bedroom he could have his own space and bed.
I can’t really answer that question, Kerry – I suggest that you apply for a DFG and see how you get on. Just be aware that local authorities are very strapped for cash at the moment, so the bar for receiving a grant is pretty high.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
I’m disabled,I’m a multiple sclerosis sufferer so my mobility is really bad & will only get worse hence why being able to get out of a vehicle as close to my front door as possible,permission for a hardstanding bay directly on my front garden has been granted but I can’t afford to pay for a dropped kerb so I need a grant.
Hi there, I applied for a DFG for my daughter who is under 18. So she was entitled to the whole grant. However, as the adaptations went over the threshold, the council sent me an application for Discretionary DFG top up which is upto £15k on top. This is means tested and the council asked for my financial details which I provided. However, they also asked for my ex husbands details even though I am the primary carer and legally we had no ties. Is there any recourse?
My ex refused to provide financial details and therefore the council refused to offer me the discretionary DFG top up. How am I to fund the extra work required?
We need to arrange adaptations within a pending supported living placement for my brother in law. He is currently under Dorset ASC but because the placement is in Bournemouth we have to wait for their OT and apply for DFG through BCP Council which we have been advised may take months to be approved.
If we were to get a loan to fund the adaptations to get things moving would a DFG pay us back retrospectively for the works done?
My brother in law has been in emergency respite since his dad (carer) passed away in December and the carer is only able to have him for a few more weeks after which point he will be homeless.
Hello Sar
This sounds like a very difficult situation for your family. However, I’m afraid that a DFG would not pay for work that has already been done, however urgent the need.
I would try and keep on top of things with Bournemouth, to make sure that the application goes through as quickly as possible.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Would a DFG grant be available for a local council to build homes specifically designed for disabled independent living?
Or is it only to modify existing properties? Are there any other sources of finance available for the above?
Hello Alan
DFGs are only for modifying existing properties that a disabled person is already living in, unfortunately.
If you are looking to build a new, accessible property yourself, you might be able to get a self-build mortgage to help finance it.
You can also take a look at the Disability Grants website, and see whether there are any trusts mentioned there you could apply to: https://www.disability-grants.org/ (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Local councils have largely stopped building homes – that is left to housing associations, in the main.
Good luck!
Frances
I notice most comments aren’t asking for life saving equipment and aren’t necessary. I have Long QT, Etopic beats, T wave flatening, Ischemia, AFib and heart rate at 180 at rest and 600 active. I am likely to go into cardiac arrest and or have a heart attack. Is it possible to get a defibrillator for home use?
Hello Heidi
Disabled Facilities Grants are designed to pay for adapting homes, so that a disabled resident can live there safely and independently. They can’t be used for medical equipment, unfortunately.
There are grants available for Community groups, etc to buy a defibrillator – but I am not aware of one for private homes. You could search on the disability grants website and see if you can find a suitable grant to apply for: https://www.disability-grants.org (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Best wishes, Frances
Hi, we have a seven year old girl who has Goldenhare syndrome and has 40% sight and similar hearing. She is none verbal and uses a combination of sign, and picture gram prompting on an iPad to communicate. She is still in nappy/pads and is monitored with an Cpap and heart monitor throughout the night. She has 10 hours personal assistance each week.
We are considering having the detached garage converted for sleeping/storing of medical/wet room facilities. As she grows older, we are hoping this will give her independence. For the mean time, her person assistant has agreed to 2 nights waking/sleep over to give us a break. We are also foster-carers and have other children, so we believe this will elevate some sleepless nights. Presently we are using baby monitors.
Joe.
I don’t know if this would help. You have a lot to deal with already. Continuing Healthcare, paid by NHS can pay for care including overnights. No idea if they will help for children. Might mean someone to do a waking night to help every night. I think gp arranged for us. There are books on how to get the NHS to pay for care. Just the nappy pads cost a fortune.
Hello, I am a 56 year old woman who is a wheelchair user due to contracting meningitis 15 years ago. I have asked for a Disabled Facilities Grant to cover the cost of a porch for my privately owned house plus a ramp so that I can be independent of my 72 year old husband who has significant health problems himself. I want to be able to leave my house whenever I want to with my outdoor wheelchair rather than rely on my husband to hoist it off the car every time I go out. I would store my outside wheelchair in the porch as I have little room in my house. My husband is becoming more frail himself and I don’t know how much longer he will be able to help me. Last week, I had an OT come to assess the problem but she said that they are not funding extensions. She says that she can widen one wall in my dining area and I can store my outdoor wheelchair in there. I have a very small dining area and I do not want to store an often very muddy wheelchair in my kitchen diner. There is also not enough room for me to use my dining table and manoeuvre around with my indoor wheelchair if my large electric powerchair is stored there. I would not have a dining area which I currently use a lot if I had to store my wheelchair there. I am not happy with the OT’s assessment and have tried to call her and written her an email but she is not responding to me. I suspect that she will make the decision that her idea is the solution. However, her solution will not give me the independence I need because we do not have the room to store the Outdoor wheelchair in my dining area. Is there a way that I can appeal against her decision? Or can I ask for a second opinion? I am not at all happy with her solution that is not a solution at all and I have tried to tell her this but she is not responding.
Hello I’d love to know if kitchen repairs or a referb would be covered our kitchen is falling apart doors falling off draw fronts falling off inside cupboards caving in ect the housing association will not replace it I’ve had them out. it means my daughter who is 6 can not access the kitchen safely she enjoys helping with cooking and it helps calm her down when she’s disregulated she also needs 1:1 care so she’s autistic high needs and has a learning disability and sensory processing disorder. It’s through the kitchen to access the garden too. Where she needs to go when having a melt down as the outdoor space calms her down and she has space to safely stim.
Hello Anna
I think it would be worth applying – though I can’t guarantee the outcome. Making the home safe for the disabled child or adult to live in is certainly one of the criteria.
However, it seems shocking that your landlord has refused to repair your home. They do have legal obligations with regard to providing a decent home for you to live in. I would get some advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice, see what you can do about the situation.
Best wishes, Frances
Hi I currently live in a 3 bed house, I have 5 children, 3 of which have autism/adjacent diagnosis and the youngest has a severe degenerative syndrome called TBCK, epilepsy and cvi. We are entitled to a 5 bed but nothing around. Would this grant build a 2 storey extension for extra bedroom upstairs and a bedroom and wet room
Downstairs??
Hello Rachel
It is possible. There is no financial limit on DFGs for disabled children, unlike adult applicants. You should get in touch with your local authority and they will be able to advise you.
Best wishes, Frances
Good afternoon
My OT’s detailed medical report has recommended sound insulated rooms due to brain injury and other medical difficulties. My local council wrote to me advising me that sound insulation is exempt. Is this correct?
Hello Maria
Can you specify what they said sound installation is exempt from?
Best wishes,
Frances
My mum is severally Disabled and in heart failure, and also has breathing problems, I had a strange smell in her bedroom I checked around and behind her wardrobes which was full of rising damp. Wil they be able to receive a grant for this to solve this problem,
My dad as also got very bad asthma and his chest seems to be getting worse
This is there own property. I am now worried about this as it could cause further health problems especially with everything going up.
Hello Julie
I don’t think it is very likely, to be honest. But you can always try asking the housing or social services department what the situation is. Generally, disabled facilities grants pay for adaptations, such as stairlifts and accessible showers, not house maintenance.
Best wishes,
Frances
Builders are presently working at our home following approval of work through a disability grant which came in very near to maximum grant allowed. The council have called and said that due to a few problems that couldn’t be foreseen the costs will now be over what was granted and have asked us if we are in a position to cover these extra costs. This isn’t for anything extra we have asked for.
Likely to be a few thousand pounds. Is this usual?
Hello Angelique
I can’t really comment on how often this occurs, but I suspect that it is not unusual. Building costs are going up, and budgets being exceeded as a consequence. The contract for carrying out works is between you (the applicant) and the contractor – although the council is providing grant funding, they are not party to the contract, except in rare cases where they undertake the works directly. Maybe there is a contingency element in the contract, to cover unexpected extra works? That is something you could check. And if you can’t afford to cover the extra costs, councils do have discretion to top up a DFG beyond the maximum limit, so you could ask about that.
Best wishes,
Frances
Thank you so much for explaining the process of a DFG, with all the issues that need to be taken into consideration, it can be a lot to take in. So THANK YOU for sharing this complex subject.
I totally agree. I have been trying to work out what I need to enquire about.
Thank you.
Hi, my mother has a mobility car which is an electric car, I’ve been accepted for the EV charging port from the Gov but unfortunately I can’t get one installed because we don’t have a driveway at our properties, however my back garden is connected to the road out the back (which is a cul-de-sac) which I can have a driveway installed in my back garden, as it’ll be pretty expensive I was wondering if my mother is able to apply for a grant to help with the costs for a driveway?
Hello Clive
You can try! DFGs can be used for improving access in the exterior part of the property – it would be up to the local authority assessor to decide whether your mother’s mobility needs require a new driveway.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Thanks for the reply Frances, if I get approved by my local council would I need to contact you guys?
Hi Clive
No – we don’t have anything to do with grants, we are purely an information website. It is your local council that will make the decision and they will probably also suggest contractors to undertake the work, if they decide that your mother is eligible.
Best wishes,
Frances
Hi, my mum has Alzheimer’s and lacks insight and has been detained under section 3 of mental health, I would like to know if I could get a DFG to adapt the garage space to a safe environment to keep her at home
Hello Andrew
I don’t know, to be honest. As a principle, a DFG is paid to adapt the disabled person’s home, so that they can continue to live there safely. If your mother was living with you before being detained, the LA might consider it. I would get advice from your local social services or housing department.
Best wishes,
Frances
My name is Janet I live on the outskirts of Newcastle upon tyne ,I have no idea how to go about such things as a grant,at the moment I live on my own in a 2 bedroom downstairs flat,it has become apparent that I need help with sertain things ,my family all live in teesside which is about 50 miles from where I am. I need a 2 bedroom bungalow as I will have to have people staying overnight at times, l am a pentioner and get pention credits along with my disability payments I have never asked the government for help so please excuse my ignorance for not understanding how this works .
Hello Janet
A disabled facilities grant can be used to adapt your existing accommodation, to make it meet your needs better, it wouldn’t help with moving to another home.
If you can’t manage on your own you can ask your local social services for a care needs assessment. They will visit you at home and see whether you have high enough needs to meet the threshold for help. But they are short of funding, not to mention short of care staff, so only people with very high care needs tend to get support.
Sorry I don’t have anything more encouraging for you.
Best wishes,
Frances
I live in ballycastle Co Antrim I’ve a grant to get a shower put in my home but I’ve tried hard and I can’t get a plumber to accept the grant they seem keen till I mention it’s a council grant and they never reply again
My daughter suffers from nead , she has seizures every day , I’m enquiring if we could get a grant to remodel our bathroom , we would like to remove the bath and put a shower in as this would be more safe for her as she has seizures whilst showering and I find it difficult to lift her in and out of the bath
Hello Joanne
DFGs are designed to pay for adaptations like this, which make the home safer and more accessible. You should contact the housing department or environmental health department at your local authority, and ask them to send you an application form.
Be aware that there are generally quite long delays, though the council is expected to give you a decision within six months of your application. You mustn’t start on any work before you are awarded your grant.
Best wishes,
Frances
Hi
wondered if you could tell me the law regarding a new build for my disabled son. We just has about enough money for a newbuild for my son as we offered land that was much cheaper. Our local council fought us for two years but we finally have permission from Oct 2022 as i proved and the council agreed that it could not provide suitable housing for my sons condition (hes rare one of 750 in the world and has noise induced seizures so we cant just live anywhere, has to be quiet but access to hospital) The trouble is we have had to live in an expensive rental for three years and the cost of materials has gone up to the point that we are struggling to complete the build. We have asked our council for a DFG as we could have been finished and in much cheaper if they hadnt fought us. They are now saying that because we are a new build but not living in it and have an official address that they cant do anything for us. possibly when we move in. We have pointed out that surely it would make sense that they would be better to do it now rather than when things are set in stone and they might have to, but if we wait till we are in then we would have to wait months for a bath and wider doorways to be fitted. Is it true that self new builds are exempt from dfg rules? Is there anywhere else i can seek help? Thanks
Hi Tracy
I’m sorry to hear of your predicament. Unfortunately, DFG is designed to adapt existing accommodation that is occupied by a disabled person, so the rules don’t allow it to be used towards a new build in the way that you hope – even though it would make better sense.
At least you can make sure that the construction is done to accessible standards as you go along. For example, it shouldn’t cost any more to have wider doorways. You certainly don’t want to have to go back and re-do basic things like that.
I’m not sure about other sources of financial support, but I recommend that you check the disability grants website, which has comprehensive information: https://www.disability-grants.org (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Good luck and best wishes, Frances
Please can anyone help my posted question
My daughter received a grant in 2017for work to make a communal garden accessible as it is all lawn and she is a wheelchair user, also paved access to her washing line.
Finally, in November 2021, a paved area was put almost directly in front of another tenants patio doors the access path actually leads from the corner of their doors and the paving is set back about 3 metres from their flat, so with any screening or planting cuts them off to about a 1m x 2m piece of lawn. It is so unsuitably placed as my daughter also has mental health issues and feels she cannot encroach on her neighbours privacy by using the patio. Another fatal flaw in this placement is she has to pass their bedroom windows and if they are open needs to close them in order to pass, opening or closing someone’s bedroom windows is a complete invasion or their privacy and beyond my daughters comprehension to do.
The access to the washing line has still not been completed.
To add further salt to the wound the occupants of the flat mentioned have asked the landlord if they may also use the patio and were given permission to do so.
As the patio is inaccessible to my daughter the grant appears to have given another tenant a private patio, whilst the garden is still not accessible to my daughter. I cannot find a similar occurrence to help guide me, I have searched countless websites and advice criteria.
The grant was 5 years ago! Any ideas? I can’t find a similar set of circumstances or a grant taking so long to install (which is good news really) but I need help please
Hello Debbie
It does seem ridiculous that your daughter’s DFG has not led to the intended outcome of providing her with access to the garden. I am not sure what you can do, but I would start with contacting the person at the council who approved the grant and whoever decided what works should be done, and let them know that the end result has not been achieved. Ask them what they suggest to rectify the situation. The council has to be happy with the work in order to release the money, so it feels like that is where the responsibility lies. I must stress that I am not an expert, but that is what I would do if I was in your situation.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi Frances
Thank you
I suffered a stroke 10 months ago and have spoken to Derbyshire council Adult Care Services regarding a DFG as I do not have level access at either front or back of my property. I also require a wet room as I cannot shower or even access the toilet independently. Their response has been to advise that I must wait at least a year to have my needs assessed before they will even consider any assistance. With assistance I can get onto a bath board to shower,however my shower has now stopped working and my curtain rail has come down. The council’s response has been that I must pay to get these fixed privately or revert to a flannel wash. I find this unacceptable and do not have anyone to assist me as the council has also failed to assign a Social Worker despite advising me that one would be assigned within a week of being discharged from hospital over 6 months ago. Where can I get help as I am getting desperate?
Hello Ian
I agree that it sounds unacceptable. You shouldn’t be waiting anything like a year to have your needs assessed, and councils are supposed to assess applications for DFG within six months. Six months waiting for a social worker to be assigned is also really poor. I would go to your local Citizens Advice – they should be able to help you make some progress with this situation.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi, I desperately need some advice please? My Mum is 75 and lives alone in her own home. She has recently been awarded Attendance Allowance and Pension Credits. I live over 120 miles away so am not able to get to her quickly if anything happens and she has no other family since my brother passed away. She has been having falls and is in hospital now with a broken back, shoulder and ribs. She has been diagnosed with osteoporosis and we don’t know how long her recovery will be. I am worried sick that when she is discharged she won’t be able to manage to live safely in her property due to the terrible state it is in. Her only bathroom is upstairs so that will be inaccessible to her. The house has fallen into such disrepair over the last few years and it is very dangerous at the moment. She has a very old ground floor extension which used to be the kitchen, but the window has completely rotted and fallen out, the walls are crumbling and the roof is leaking and falling in. My Mum is extremely stubborn and independent and refuses to ask for help, I do not have the means to carry out the extensive repairs and adaptations she requires, and its breaking my heart not knowing what I can do to help her! Would she be eligible for a DFG, and would I be able to apply on her behalf please? Any advice would be gratefully received, if I try to suggest anything like this to her she gets very annoyed as she classes it as “asking for charity” and I’m finding it very distressing. I have struggled with my mental health issues for many years and this is so upsetting, I don’t know what to do! Thank you x.
Hello Marie
I sympathise with the difficult situation you find yourself in, it must be very hard worrying about her from a distance. She may well be eligible for a DFG for adaptations to make her home safer and more accessible for her. They are means tested, though it sounds like her income and savings are modest, so that shouldn’t be an issue.
You can get the ball rolling for her, by getting in touch with the housing department on her behalf – but they will come round to assess her home and see what changes would be practical and cost-effective to undertake.
It certainly isn’t charity: having a safe and accessible home helps keep the occupier healthy and independent, saving the NHS and social care considerable costs.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi Frances, thank you so much for your advice. Mum has I think just under £9000 in savings, and receives a basic state pension. I know they disregard the first £6000 of savings, but I’m not sure how much they’d ask her to contribute if she did qualify for the dfg. She had had some advice in the past from an organisation called Manchester Care & Repair, if I contact them perhaps they could get the ball rolling with the Council for her? I’ll see what I can do. Thank you again for your help xx
I would definitely get in touch with Manchester Care & Repair, they are the people who are generally responsible for carrying out or commissioning Grant aided adaptations, and will know how things work in the area.
You can check eligibility, including the means test at adaptmyhome.org.uk
Your Mom would have to make the application but you can get the ball rolling for her
Hi there. I’m moving house the property has no downstairs toilet .
I’m going to have to add a side return extension.
As there is nowhere else to add a toilet.
Also I have mobility issues , I was wondering if I could apply for help
To add a elevator .
I would have brought a bungalow if I had the extra cash but as we all know
House prices have shot up .
I had to move as my husband and I have split up .
So my disposable income has gone down .
Would I be able to have a Disabled facility grant for this .
From Christine.
Hello Christine
It’s possible you would be eligible for a DFG for this. You should get in touch with the housing department of your local authority, and ask to apply for one.
Best wishes,
Frances
Van you get DFG for a self build adapted bungalow to help with adaptations, wider doors and facilities required for spinal nerve damage condition? My current home has been adapted but during the pandemic I was sheilded and I lived in my bedroom and shower room as my husband worked straight through. This experience was a insight into my future life because the interior doorways aren’t wide enough for a wheelchair and they cans be widened. We have looked for alternatives but fpund nothing that would be a future proof adapted home suitable for my needs.
We have found that adapted homes aren’t what developers build.
We have realised that the only option is to self build. I see the DFG and wondered if that can be used on a new build I know people who have built extensions with the grants and wondered if anyone could help.
If anyone knows if the grant can be used for adapted self build home id really appreciate your help and advice on how to navigate the process. Thanks in advance for your help
Hello Denise
You wouldn’t be able to apply for a DFG to help with your self build project, unfortunately. The grants are intended to adapt somebody’s existing home, if it is unsuitable for them. I know there is a big issue around house building in Britain – developers really don’t build to accessible standards, hence the chronic shortage of available properties.
I am not sure where you could go for finance, I’m afraid.
Best wishes,
Frances
It would be worth talking to your local Council. They do have some discretion to help, especially if it means you’re less likely to go to them for care and support
My dependent daughter has Down syndrome . I am a home owner with a single downstairs room and separate kitchen . I am hoping to convert the integral garage so she can have a room for herself downstairs . I’ve already had a downstairs toilet fitted under dfg. I’ve looked into costs of doing this but it’s beyond my budget . I’m wondering if this may be something that may fall under funding ? Thank you
Hello Glenda
You can apply for a further DFG, as long as the total of both grants is within the statutory limit – £30,000 in England.
Best wishes,
Frances
It’s actually £30k for each grant application. They’re not added up
Thank you for correcting that, Paul. I will go back to the original source of the information and put them right!
Hi, I am currently having a small front room extension made for my mother for a downstairs bedroom and shared wet room facilities for both of us. This is in its final stages before the work commences. We had a discretionary dual grant awarded for £60,000 to enable the work to go ahead and we need to pay the £12,000 excess as the work is above due to the rise in prices because of the pandemic.
I am now have more joint issues and was not aware before that i could consider requesting adaptations due to my disability for the kitchen. I found that out by a forum for people with my condition. I was advised during the discussion of the above adaptations that should I reapply for anything else that the funding limit would be £20,000 and not £30,000. I would like to know if there is a time frame for when I can apply or is it based solely on when the need arises, basically can I apply although I am just going through the final stages of a DFG. I struggle to reach things higher up and also due to POTS things which are at base level. My mother takes a chair to sit down on so it would be helpful if the doorway was widened. Plus the current kitchen is very worn as it is likely 50 odd years old aswell as other considerations.
Thank you.
Hello Ms Kaur
Any Disabled Facilities Grant above £30,000 is discretionary, so it is up to the local authority whether they would pay for any further works to your home.
Maybe get some advice from the OT who is dealing with your case, see what they say.
Best wishes,
Frances
Hi – my 86 yr old mum has Alzheimer’s – 3 years ago she had a grant for a shower room – she is now unable to live independently and we are taking her to live with us at our home – would she be eligible for another grant when she moves ?
Would be grateful if any advise as we are also on long term benefits
Hello Julie
If your home needs adapting to meet your mother’s needs, you can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
There may be a question over the fact that she hasn’t lived in her home for five years since the work was done – but I think it would be unreasonable, as she couldn’t predict becoming unable to live independently in a shorter time.
Best wishes,
Frances
I’m just wondering if it’s possible to get funding for a loft conversion when your child has autism and needs there own space
You can try applying, Stephanie, but it might not be easy. Councils seem to be more focused on DFGs for adaptations to accommodate mobility problems. A sympathetic OT would be helpful!
Best wishes,
Frances
It depends on whether it would make things safer for you all
Hi
I feel as if my problem is nothing compared to some of these I’ve read but I just could do with a bit of advice please. I have a 2 bedroom house and I have mental health issues. I don’t want to go into it to much but I used to be an alcoholic and I lost my children but I’ve stopped drinking now for 3 and a half years now and I’ve had my daughter come back home so she is in one room and I’m in another. My son comes and stays Friday until Sunday. I have no room for him and he sleeps on a mattress on the floor in the livingroom. Rather than putting in for a move I wondered if I could get a dfg to just put a stud wall in my livingroom so that could be his own little space he could call his own. It would probably only cost a few hundred pounds. Would I be able to put in for a grant on the grounds of my mental health as part of my illness is I can’t cope with change. Can you please just give me an indication if you have ever heard of them giving grants for this sort of thing please? I am classed as a vulnerable adult and I do really suffer daily. I struggle to even leave the house most days, I know there are worse people than me and you can’t see my illness but it is bad and I wish it would get better but it’s been this way for years. Please reply and give me an indication if you can I would be so grateful for it. Thank you Claire
Hello Claire
I am so sorry to hear of your problems. Life must be very challenging for you. Unfortunately, I think it is unlikely that you could get a DFG in this situation – they are really designed for physical accessibility issues.
I suggest that you take a look on the disability grants website and see whether you can find any other sources of funding you could apply to: https://www.disability-grants.org (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
I had a stroke in 2018, I can not reach into the bottom cupboards of my kitchen, nor can I reach the second or third shelf of my wall cupboards. on the council’s advice, I put some items onto my work surfaces only to attract mice for which I had to pay for pest control as I am a homeowner. Should I be considered for a Disabled facilities grant?I already had my bathroom adopted by the council
Hello Amanda
You can apply for another grant, as long as the total amount of the two grants is within the statutory limit, which in England is £30,000.
Best wishes,
Frances
My husband is disabled through a massive stroke, he has an electric wheelchair, we had a ramp put in place at our own expense, but the path leading to the front gate is very damaged and is a danger for him using his wheelchair, he also has to walk down the path to get to the car, which is dangerous as he has had a couple of falls due to the path being very uneven, could we get help to renew this pathway?
Hello Angela
It may be possible to get a disabled facilities grant to do this. It also depends on your financial situation. If you get in touch with the housing department at your local council, they should be able to advise you.
Best wishes, Frances
My mother is about to become homeless. She is 86 and although she has mobility and health issues she is not classified as disabled. Would we get dog support to give a home if we converted our garage.
Hello Gillian
Disabled Facilities Grants are awarded to adapt at home that a disabled person is already living in, so you wouldn’t be able to apply for one under these circumstances, unfortunately.
Best wishes, Frances
Hi , when I go on gov website and it asks for my postal address it goes to stockport which is correct. Then it says page has been removed. Does that mean there’s no funding left for this council? If so when will they get funding so I can apply? Thanks
Hello Clara
I’m not sure, it might just be a fault on the website. Why don’t you contact Stockport council housing department and tell them you want to apply for a DFG? They will get the process going for you.
Best wishes,
Frances
No. Try adaptmyhome.org.uk
I LIVE IN A LQ Housing Association Property I had no choices with due respect take it or leave it they said. Lq knew I was disabled at the time with a young baby son. MY flat not I repeat not disabled Adapted and I have had leakage and flooding and bathroom Foundation leakage problems and flooring not level or adapted and no proper Disabled RAMP to date and No proper intercom or path Security light to date absolutely appalling NO room for my Disabled Scooter to come into my Actual home to date. Had FIREMEN in my basement a swimming pool of water horendous and to date drafty and fungus dampness plus to to date leakage coming from above flat B I am A.
I SAID I HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH COULD I PLEASE HAVE ONE OF YOUR NEW BUILDS I HAVE ASKED FOR US TO BE MOVED NUMEROUS TIMES BUT TO NO AVAIL. I AM SIDE LINED PLUS MANY MANY LQ PLUMBERS AND STAFF BEEN TO OUR PROPERTY TO DATE NO PROPER ACTION TAKEN. SO I NOW HAVE MY LAWYERS WHOM IS DEALING WITH THE MATTER FOR ME MY LAST RESORT TO DATE HORRENDOUS TO DATE ALSO STILL HAVE LEAKAGE. AND YET I MAKE SURE I AM IN Credit with LQ for 26 years or over to date and asked for compensation of my damages to date ignored. THANK YOU FOR READING. TO DATE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS ASKING TO BE RE HOUSED ACCORDING TO DISABILITY ACT TO DATE IGNORED BY LQ. TO BE FAIR I REST MY CASE TO DATE. I HAVE BEEN LQ RESIDENT FOR OVER 26 YEARS AND MY SON TO DATE AGAIN.
I want to do loft and down stairs extention will I gett 100pecent guarantee I get pip on both departments?
Hello Moznu
You need to contact your local council to apply for a grant. They will visit your home to see what adaptations you need, and whether it is reasonable and practical to carry them out. They will then also make an assessment of your financial situation, to see how much grant you might be entitled to. The maximum in England is £30,000. Which probably wouldn’t cover the works you are hoping to carry out.
Best wishes, Frances
Hi,I am epileptic and have been for 13years now,I also have children.The size of my bathroom is very small no room to move about,in the past I have had seizures in the bathroom I hurt my head and bruised my back. I don’t have warnings before a seizure I just drop down. Will I be given a grant to make a ground floor bathroom?
Hello Maariyah
It is difficult to give a definite answer – your local authority needs to decide whether you require any alteration to your home, and if the alteration is reasonable and practical. So the first step is to get in touch with your housing department and ask to apply for a DFG. They will assess your needs, and if appropriate, your finances – the grants are means tested.
Best wishes, Frances
Thank you for your reply, Appreciate it.
I am asking for my father who lives in Nottingham and I live in Bristol. He is 88 years old with a blue badge holder on his own, he owns and lives in his own house alone. He has difficulty with bending and his knees, he would like a bathroom changed either a shower put in instead of the bath or a bath with a door, can he get any assistance with this as he had quotes way over what he can afford. As his mobility has got worse over the last 2 years and getting worse,i would like help before he has a accident getting in and out the bath. Thank you
Keith Clarke
Hello Keith
Your father may be eligible for a DFG – you need to contact his local authority housing or environmental health department to apply. An occupational therapist or similar will come to assess his home and his mobility needs. Unfortunately, this is not a quick process, so you might need to think about interim measures to help prevent accidents – bath boards, grab rails etc. The grants are means tested in a rather complicated manner so the amount he might receive will be calculated taking account his income, reasonable financial outgoings and any savings over £6000.
Alternatively, this sort of work would be eligible for VAT exemption, if he decides to go ahead and fund it himself – which would save 20%. Perhaps this would make the project affordable for him.
Best wishes, Frances
I have been awarded (after seriously complaining and appealing) a DFG with discretionary fee, for a single storey extension bedroom & bathroom on my own home. The council arranged for a surveyor & planning application, which has been refused due to apparently being overbearing, overshadowing under a 45 degree angle and loss of outlook complaint from one adjacent owner, which is laughable as they stare at the backs of terraces opposite and their own old delapidated rusting garage that is held up by ivy. I would have thought the refusal points would have been took into consideration by the surveyor they hired. I feel that Iam having to fight the local authority at every hurdle.
I plan to appeal but as I have no experience in arguing planning policies, can anyone advise who would be good to approach for help with this? Needless to say, I cannot afford a private surveyor/planning advisor.
Hi Rebecca – some suggestions from an architect in our Facebook group. You can resubmit for free, suggest you talk to the planner about the decision, not convinced overshadowing and loss of outlook is a valid reason for refusal.
She suggested talking to a local planning consultant to get advice as to the legitimacy of the refusal. They may get concerned about loss of light. There is more advice here: https://www.gov.uk/appeal-householder-planning-decision
You can ask the surveyor to look again and see if the application can be tweaked and resubmitted (should be free).
You may also be able to get some free advice from the RTPI https://www.rtpi.org.uk/planning-advice/ (external links will open in a new browser tab or window)
Good luck!
Planning rules on house extensions are fairly straightforward – the architect should have known about the 45 degree rule
Hi,
I have 3 children one of which is a 10 year old boy with ADHD and ASD who requires his own bedroom. Which at present he does have. My other 2 children at 8 year old girl and 3 year old boy which means in 2 years time my daughter would not be allowed to share a room with my other son due to legal age restrictions and we are in a council house which we all like very much. Would this be reasonable grounds to apply for a grant to get the loft converted so that we can remain in the property we are in instead of all the upheaval of trying to find a 4 bedroom property and moving?
Hello Patricia
I can’t really give you a definitive answer to this. Your local authority has to judge that any adaptations are both necessary and reasonably practicable. You could try the new DFG Self-Assessment Portal which Foundations has developed, and see what advice that comes up with for you: https://shouldistay.co.uk/public/ (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Otherwise, it might be a good idea to talk to your local housing department ahead of any application, to see what their views are.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
A Disabled Facilities Grant is only available for certain purposes related to a disability. If your 2 sons were sharing a room and it wasn’t safe, then that could be considered
DFG Nightmare, where DFG manager is the problem, & yet there is no simple way to redress their malicious abuse.
I am long term disabled as under MHA since 1985, as PTSD totally untreatable. This also causes mentally induced physical paralysis, I also have physical conditions such as necrosis of the toes, toe joints have worn flat, & spreading, as well as defective knees & feet. The mental stress problems causing a lot of added physical problems & incontinence, liver failure, pre-diabetic, etc. Super thick blood, & it takes 1 hour & 22 syringes to draw off 1 pint.
At side of our own house is my large 7mts x 3mts extension, with a separate area 2mts x 3mts for a wet room at the end. I applied for DFG in 2019, & used private OT, OT told council to get on with it without issue, & council messed around, ** the key think here is for everyone to make subject access request’s. ** this allowed me to see what was going on. DFG manager had wrote in an email, she was not interested anything the OT had to say, she would refuse it.
DFG malice comment was raised with the DFG manager, & instantly workmen were at the house to do the wet room.
2019 remainder of room 5mtrs x 3mtrs was examined by the planning & DFG team, & deemed suitable for bedroom.
It is a fully built dual brick building with new roof, elect, gas, water, but has no plaster board’s on ceiling or walls.
However my condition was not justified by me at that time in 2019, & I could get upstairs, ok, but slowly.
In late 2020 the necrosis had spread to both feet, liver toxicity was over 3 x the max, feet swelled to twice the size.
Now needed hospital altered special shoes, at times movement was in inches, & speed to toilet was VERY important.
In Nov 2020 I obtained new OT report to DFG, OT made 2 options, asking to
1) is it feasible to fit in a stair chair, in the short term.
2) is it feasible to convert room next to wet room to bedroom, as the ONLY long term solution.
convert utility room too garage ( OT stating, this is the only long term answer )
The 2020 OT report, states, IF stair chair not feasible, then you must do the bedroom.
The hostility was massive, DFG examined ONLY, stairs, stair chair installer WROTE not suitable, I obtained expert wall structural report wall & stairs not suitable due to a massive fire years before, manufacturer stated it would NOW have to be a Platinum Ultimate stair chair facing up the stairs, some 18″ up off the stair rails, & a 3″ pole straight up the middle, & clearance for fingers would be 2cm, yet my hands are 5cm. Installer stated you will fit BUT NOT SAFE.
Our GP, & Consultant both wrote letters stating DO NOT PUT IN STAIR CHAIR, it will be detrimental to everyone.
Council replied, we still think it will work, so we demanded they give us the specs, & have our experts respond.
If need fit one as it wont work, COUNCIL refused, even to have installer provide any specs, clearances, or visit.
The SAR requests showed that many council people were now involved in the refused to decide, & it went to LGO.
One council email said, DO NOT LET THEM USE PRIVATE OT’s we cannot control them, or contents of the report.
The LGO ordered the Council must obtain, 2 x private OT reports self & spouse, within 4 weeks, council did not comply. SAR showed, Council ordered OT’s not to talk to us, or advise, or give us reports at same time, OT REFUSED. Two separate OT’s were picked by Council, & these are SPECIALIST in mental & physical OT issues.
LGO stepped in again re-ordered Council get OT reports, & stop trying to control the OT’s, they were independent
OT’s few days letter emailed us & Council the OT reports, each 28 pages long. Cost council some £1,440
The fully detail all issues & problem on myself & spouse, & grand children. OT’s covered every aspect in detail.
101% they both refused the stair chair as pointless, & that they MUST do the bedroom. Council NO RESPONSE.
SAR request to OT’s, Council had now tried to get OT reports changed, that we could use “A” stair chair, OT refused.
SAR request to council, they had written to GP, asking he confirm IN DETAIL, how my mental state was affecting my
walking, & body, how my body was affecting my mental states. etc, GP sent me the letter from the Council.
I emailed the GP letter to the OT’s who instantly replied, all the questions asked of the GP they had already answered.
That from start to finish, the council had REFUSED OT’s with any details what so ever about the intended stair chair.
OT’s now wanted the council to provide full details of the stair chair, & its dimensions & clearances etc, & to pay for extra report, stating, OT’s CAN DETAIL HOW DANGEROUS STAIR CHAIR WOULD BE, OT still demand, do bedroom.
Our stairs are 520cm wide MAX, from my back to my toes is 570cm ( Confirmed in writing from my foot expert report )
Hence why council want to fit Platinum Ultimate stair chair, facing upstairs, which is why it will be 18″ high MONO RAIL
Another installer came said your head will hot the ceiling bulkhead, & cost some £6,000 in any event & no clearances.
So even going by the 2020 report, IF stair chair not feasible, then you must do the bedroom.
Another SAR, 1 year after DFG request of Nov 2020, Council now state, they have NO DFG FILE, they have no costings of bedroom, they have NO dimensions, or costings of stair chair, they estimate stair chair at £2,000 where as THEIR installer stated stair chair would be around £6,000. Council state £2,000 & offer proportional grant of £2,000 ?
Council state, they have a duty to save money, & will only go with cheapest option, YET WILL NOT COST ANYTHING.
They have had 11 months, to not make a decision. The LGO pulled out & I have to restart again, & said, better with judicial review.
I have now just appointed a solicitor, who’s contact with council solicitor. The unspoken thing seems to be, or imply,
the council is NOW 11months later, seeking my GP letter to confirm my disabilities, physical & mental, & their effects. ?
Despite the council DFG already having from me, many reports, inc 2019 GP referral, mental health counselling,
due to dispute with Council, stress causing him repeat, serious physical & mental problems, 10 x 1hr sessions.
Council already have hospital xray reports, my toes & feet, & knees, & reports showing, increased loss, & damage,
My Solicitor has agreed, & demands, council then writes about the DFG acceptance, or if refusal & on what grounds.
Nightmare goes on, I still have to sleep on couch, & get changed in a freezing room, with no heating & garage door..
This sounds horrendous. All you have done is followed their rules, and faced blocks. I don’t know waht to suggest, just to hope the powers that be will sort out the grants and work needed soon. You have made brilliant use of Subject Acess Requests. I would have hoped you got better replies. I have used Subject Access Requests, information can be found on Information Commission website I think. Sometimes it is the legal way to get information that you sould have been given anyway.
Hi my 23 year old son was paralysed from the waist down in june after a freak accident we had an ot and social worker who were doing the adaptions as my son is 23 he needs his own space so we request our out house to be turned into a bedroom as at the moment he is squashed in our small dining room with a hospital bed a comode and his wheelchair he cant even turn round in his wheelchair its that small he hasn’t had a shower since his accident as we have no downstairs facilities but they turned our request down saying they do not do bedrooms just wet room so we were told he will have to stop in the dinning room which is not suitable so he is getting forced to move on his own which everyone agrees his not in the right mind state to live on his own so i got intouch with his ot only to be told our case has been closed so we are on our own to sort a suitable accommodation so i rang our housing office only to be told we now need another ot assessment again befor he can be re housed we have basically have had no help what so ever and dont ni wger to go from here im in ill health with lupus which is making it worse all the stress is it to much to ask for him to have his own space si he can have friends over he is really badly depressed as he does nit leave his room and sleeping l day as he says he has nothing to get up for any advice would be greatly recived
Hello Julie
I am so sorry to hear of the situation your family is going through, and it seems completely extraordinary that your case should be closed without any solution being arrived at.
You can certainly complain about the service you have received from your local authority, and take it the ombudsman if you don’t get a satisfactory response from them. But I realise that takes time and energy, and doesn’t do anything to help your son in the meanwhile.
The organisation which has expertise in housing-related problems is Shelter, so I recommend that you contact them to see what else you can do. this is a link to their website: https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
My landlord is moving us due to disrepair. However the new house has a bath/ toilet tighter on first floor and no toilet downstairs. My son is 10 has asd, spd & chronic constipation meaning he had day and night toilet accidents.
Would I be able to apply for a grant for downstairs toilet for him once I move in or do I need to apply for it before move?
Thanks
Hello Rachel
You can’t apply for the DFG before you move in. It is awarded in order to make a property more suitable for a disabled person who is already living in it. You just want to get going on the application as soon as you can, because of the delays in the system.
Best wishes,
Frances
I have applied for a dfg grant and had an o.t come and assess my home, I have a non verbal 5 year old with asd, spd and adhd and a 7 year old with spd, severe tics and asd, we need one wall taken away that separates the living room from kitchen and nothing else! as one has severe seperation anxiety and self harms when left (using her head which she will bangs with no awareness of injury ) and the other will have a sensory overload and tics severly and I feel like iam In prison in my own home not being able to leave a room and fighting a losing battle, there suggestions was to lock them in the livingroom with a camera on (but I don’t want to watch my girls get that stressed out, they litterally climb the walls) or sujestion put a hatch in the wall, the reason is not so I can watch them in these states but take the wall away so there is no reason for them to get in that state, I feel like they are not taken into account that we want independence and to actually live not locked in rooms and how much doing that will impact all of our mental health
Hello Laura
It does sound as though the OT didn’t really understand your family situation. Perhaps you could get a specialist OT in private practice to visit and give advice about what would be suitable?
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
We have been awarded a £30,000 disable grant for a down stairs bedroom and wet room for our 15yrs old son. The total contract to build this was for £60,000 We have managed to raise the additional £30,000 and have consistently told the project manager/ architect provided via the council that this is our absolute maximum we can afford. We asked him what would happen if something unforeseen happened that would increase the total contact, for example deeper foundations and he has consistently told us that the council would cover unforeseen costs, especially as we are putting in £30k. Two weeks into the build, foundations dug and concrete poured, we find that the project manager/architect has not accounted for the drains to be redirected, even though all along he’s known they fell within the foundations and would need to be moved/ redirected. We’ve just received a quote for the drains work required and it £10,000. And also the foundations had to be deeper so there’s more cost there too. We asked him would the council be covering this as it’s unforeseen as he’s saying ( not so sure myself, I think he’s not done his job correctly in the first place) but he’s now saying the grant is at its maximum and we have to find the additional money. And we’ve had an email from the contact at the council who has also confirmed this.
If he’d accounted for the drains within his plan of works and the quotes had come back at £70k we would not have agreed to go ahead as we only have £30k
What can we do? I’m beside myself with worry.
Hello Catherine
I can well imagine how worried you must be. I would go back to the council and ask them about discretionary funding to make up the difference. As you have made it clear all along that you can’t raise more than £30,000, they should look at other ways to finance the project.
It’s quite worrying that a professional architect didn’t take account of drains!
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
I have 3 children with ASD, intellectual disability and severe learning disability and generalised anxiety disorder. We have been fighting for a DFG grant for 4 years and was allocated a OT worker 2 years ago. She came to have a look at the house and done an assessment and agreed we need two extra bedrooms. She said one of the rooms can be the dinning room and they will be an adaptation on the back of the house for the 2nd. When I spoke with the children their anxiety has spiralled on the thought of sleeping on ground floor. I expressed my concerns to the OT and I said would they consider a loft conversion they said yes but I need to gain 3 quotes. 6 months later I gained 3 quotes. They contacted the housing association who has stated if I was funding it myself then they would allow it to go ahead but because it’s a DFG grant they won’t. Since this has happened my son and tried to end is life and I at to get the police to try and reason with him and my daughter has attempted by strangling herself. We are really struggling and I don’t know where to go or where to turn. They have said they are doing a ground floor extension but this won’t change our life’s for the better as the children won’t sleep on ground floor. Do I have some right of I was to fight this through the courts?
Hello Tara
I’m afraid I’m not quite sure what your legal position would be. It seems illogical to pay for works to be done which won’t actually solve your problem. Can you try getting your OT to talk to the housing association on your behalf, and find out what their objections are? The specialist housing charity, Shelter, may also be able to help you with advice.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
I care for people with learning disabilities I have done in my own home for 10 years
We desperately need another room as only have one lounge for 5 of us
Is it possible I could get a grant to put a log cabin in the garden for extra space and for some peace away from each other
Hello Sheila
If you don’t have enough room in your home, it would certainly be worth contacting your local council, to see whether you might be able to get a grant. A cabin in the garden is not the sort of adaptation that is usually funded, but if you don’t ask, you will never know.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
We are foster carers with 3 children all with life limiting conditions and are non mobile.they are all out of our local authority area. In the past we have been told that they will not be entitled to dfg is this correct because we have now been I formed from other Foster carers they have dfg for Looked after child from different local authority
Hello Mark
Long-term foster carers can apply for a DFG in the same way as other parents and carers. It may be that the local authorities concerned (where you live and where the children are nominally cared-for) have to come to an accommodation between them over funding the award – but you should definitely apply!
Let me know how you get on.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
I’m disabled and my husband left me 6 years ago and although our children are over 18 they still live in the family home with me. He stopped paying his half of the mortgage last year and I pay it on my own
I’ve been accepted for a grant to have a stairlift and bathroom conversion but he refuses to co sign the forms to agree to the work being done
I’ve told him I would pay any charge on the property if it’s sold (which I don’t want to now or in the next 5 years) but he flatly refuses. What can I do, I’ve had several falls in the house on the stairs and in our very old unsafe bath.
I am so sorry to hear of your situation. Unfortunately, it is a requirement of Disabled Facilities Grants that all the property owners give their agreement in writing.
I think you need to get proper financial/legal advice about getting your husband removed from the mortgage if he is no longer contributing. You don’t want to keep on having to get his approval when you want to make changes to your home.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi, I am 68 and my wife is 73 and disabled. We rent a house privately but our landlord has recently passed away and the house has now been sold, so we have to move. 6 years ago we were granted a DFG for a wet room, which has been great, and we purchased a stairlift ourselves. We are looking for another private rental and have found one with a walk in shower already installed but there is no stairlift. Would I be able to apply for a grant for one, before we move in, providing the new landlord will allow it, of course?
Hmm, interesting question. Government guidance is that someone living in the property must be disabled – which implies that you wouldn’t be able to apply for a property you are not yet living in. A landlord can apply if they have a disabled tenant – but again, you aren’t their tenant if you haven’t moved in or at least signed an agreement…
You could perhaps try approaching the local authority housing department together, and ask for their advice.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi, I have 3 young children, all autistic with severe learning difficulties. Are disabled facilities grants considered per person or per family? Would an application be able to take into account all my children’s needs? Would the 30K cap still apply or would that be each?
Thanks x
Hello Rebecca
That is such an interesting question. I believe that the grant is applied to the house rather than an individual – you have to undertake to stay there for a certain amount of time, for example. However, it should look at all the needs of the disabled individuals in the household.
And although there is a £30,000 cap, local authorities have discretion to pay more, and according to the Council For Disabled Children:
“If an adaptation is required to meet an assessed need and the cost of the works will exceed the maximum cap for a DFG, the remainder should be met either by the housing authority exercising its discretionary powers (see paras 6.42–6.44), the children’s services authority meeting the additional costs pursuant to its duty under CSDPA 1970 s2 (see para 3.56) or by a combination of the two. It will not be lawful for an authority to refuse to make adaptations which have been assessed as necessary solely by reason of cost.”
I hope this helps!
Best wishes, Frances
Hello,
My teenage daughter has a complex learning and physical disability.
The Council and OT have agreed for a DFG to reconfigure our downstairs layout for her needs – bedroom,wetroom, door widening, ramps. They have both been supportive and helpful 🙂
We also intend to do non-DFG work to improve the home for her/our future needs and generally make our home easier and more pleasant to live in (e.g. the children’s DFG does not cover acessibility in the kitchen, utility or the replacement of malfunctioning windows. mould removal etc. but are needed for us and our daughter now and as she gets older) . This will cost considerably more than the DFG work.
It seems that the DFG can be approached in two ways:
1. The Council go out to tender, award to the cheapest contractor and manage the works
2. We obtain 3 quotes, award to our chosen contractor and manage the works. The DFG is paid in line with the cheapest grant work quote.
Given that the whole building work is inter-related and the DFG work will impact on the non-DFG work and vice a versa, we can forsess problems (miscommunication, mis-scheduling/delays, accountability etc.) with having two contractors on site (one Council appointed doing the DFG work, the other doing non-DFG building work) and not wanting to necessarily go with just the Council’s perferred cheapest quote or necessarily a builder on thier approved list, we are considering the second option.
However, I cannot find information as to how to go about this, what is involved, and apart from the extra time we will need to spend managing everything, if there are drawbacks to taking this route. For example, does the DFG paperwork become more arduous, are certain elements such as professional fees excluded, does it limit supplementary funding if needed, what if something is found during the build that requires a change of plan?
Ideally, it would be good to talk to someone who has taken this second route.
Can you offer any advice and signpost us to forums or resources that explain this second, go it alone, option?
Also, where can I find out exactly what is and is not permitted work under the DFG? It seems that the grant covers access improvements to the front or the rear of the house but not both. Are there statutory guidelines on this, are there professional bodies/charities to guide us, or is it left to the decision of the local OT or Council officer?
I will of course speak to the very busy OT and Council Officer, but I am reluctant to constantly bother them without trying to find things out for myself and would appreciate some independent advice.
Many thanks
Hello Sarah
I can well understand that you would prefer to be dealing with one contractor, rather than two, and managing the process yourselves so that the various works are smoothly integrated.
What I don’t know is anywhere you might get information appropriate to your situation, and although local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a DFG to eligible people, they all seem to have slightly different approaches to what they will fund.
I will ask in our Facebook group, if anyone has experience of what you are contemplating. And also see whether I can get any other guidance for you elsewhere.
Best wishes,
Frances
Thank you Frances.
I wonder if you found out any further information?
Many thanks
Hi Sarah
Feedback from our Facebook group is that you have a right to manage the work yourself, using a contractor you select, but no-one who responded had tried doing this, so I didn’t get any further insights for you.
There was a warning from one person in the industry that things can go very wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing. But I guess that is self-evident, and no doubt things also go wrong when you’re trying to juggle two separate projects rather than one integrated one.
You could try contacting Foundations for advice – they are the experts in Disabled Facilities Grants https://www.foundations.uk.com/ (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Good luck, whichever route you take!
Frances
Hi there!
We were wondering whether there would be a grant available that would help us towards the costs of building a bedroom downstairs for my mum so she can easily access the bathroom as we don’t have one upstairs? We only have one living room so it’s hard. Plus our kitchen’s enterance is through our living room too. My mum has many disabilities which I don’t want to publicly share 🙁
I am trying to find the link to apply for a grant on the Nottingham City government website but i cant seem to find it. Any help would be appreciated!
Hello Neelam
You may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant to adapt to your home. The information about it is on Nottingham City Council website here: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/information-for-residents/health-and-social-care/adult-social-care/money-and-legal-matters/adaptions-and-disabled-facilities-grant
The first thing you have to do is contact the OT service, and they will visit your home to advise. You can phone them on 0300 1310 300 or email them from this page: https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/information-for-residents/health-and-social-care/adult-social-care/i-have-an-illness-or-disability/someone-to-help-you/occupational-therapy/
(external links above will open in a new browser tab or window)
Best wishes,
Frances
Hi
We have been approved for a DFG for downstairs bedroom, shower room, ramp at front and level access at back. Our son is nearly 6 and uses a wheelchair. The council constantly remind us what a big job this is but have been great in that the surplus cost of the work will go as a charge against the house. However our whole living room/ dining area will become bedroom/bathroom and they will build an extension at the rear to give us a new living dining area. The problem for us is that the new area will be considerably smaller and fitting in a living area AND dining table will be a real squeeze, especially with my son having to navigate around using his wheelchair or walker. We don’t want to compromise on having a dining table- without one we are a family of four eating off our knees or the kitchen worktops. Our only choice is to pay for the cost of the additional works upfront but we don’t have the funds for that. Do you have any advice? What do other families do in a similar situation?
Hello Sarah
You are in a difficult situation – I sympathise, and certainly agree with you about the importance of a dining table!
You could try searching on the disability grants website, to see whether there are any organisations offering support for this sort of adaptation building work – https://www.disability-grants.org (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Or what some people do, if finances permit, is remortgage so that you get access to cash to pay for the work. House prices are going up and interest rates are low, currently, so that may be a solution. This isn’t financial advice! I am not qualified to give that…
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi, is it feasible to apply for a grant to build an annex on my mothers property for my father to move in to – he is 62 and had a Covid then a significant stroke and has been in hospital for 8 months. He can’t go back to his rental flat as it is downstairs and he needs care due to his cognitive impairment, mobility issues, aphasia , apraxia and dyspraxia . They are still married but have been separated for over 15 years. Neither has savings
Hi Lola
A DFG can only be applied for if there is someone with a disability living in a property. So I don’t think this would work. However – clearly your father needs somewhere to live, with the care he requires to manage life on a day-to-day basis. Is the hospital discharge team working on a solution? Also his Local Authority housing department should be involved, as he is presumably homeless?
I don’t have particular expertise in this area, unfortunately. Perhaps Shelter could help with some advice.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi, my mother has been diagnosed with alzheimer’s, we have noticed her mobility is getting poor even though at the moment she can manage the stairs, we have spoken about getting a downstairs bedroom and wet room put in place before her mobility becomes a problem and she is unable to manage stairs, she has her own property and has saving around the £26,000,
Would we be able to get help from the council to build and extention on the side of the property and who and who do we go about this or does she have to much saving, we would be happy to pay some towards this
Hello Jan
DFGs can be used for this sort of adaptation – if the local council thinks it is necessary and appropriate. I think you would really have to start the process rolling, and see what they say when they assess your mother’s needs and situation. You should contact the housing department at her local council in the first instance.
She would be expected to contribute from her savings as they are over £6000. They will also assess her income and what they consider would be reasonable financial outgoings (not her actual expenditure!) before deciding how much grant to award – DFGs can be anywhere between £0 and £30,000.
Best wishes,
Frances
Hi. My mum is 79 and suffers from Vascular Dementia since 2014 , Emphysema ,osteoarthritis , High blood pressure.
TOILET UNITE
After her one month hospital stay ( 5 Jan-27 ) she came out mentally and physically worse than before ( more mentally ) . She was admitted with Urinary infection , Blood poisoning , and E coli ( all hygiene related ). We think she got infection due to her toilet flusher which is two buttons that she find hard to press down due to osteoarthritis , so we would find her stool and urine left all day till the next day , which she could have contaminated her hand .
SHOWER
Her bathroom is narrow and to get to the shower from the toilet unite she needs to go up one step, then there is the shower cubicle floor metal rim which both the carer mum and i have slipped while coming out as the area is so small and near the step , i sustained bruises on my arm when she fell over me . HIA ( home improvement agency ) had assessed her bathroom and they acknowledged the problem
Able and HIA ( home improvement agency ) had assessed her bathroom and they acknowledged the problem but they had not put her on the urgent or high risk despite knowing the facts since Feb , only after several complaints and chasing them they put her in urgent on 12 April even though i had complained in Feb . HIA and they keep saying that they don’t know when to start as they have to wait for the grant to be agreed . I asked for the handy man to fix at least the flusher till they start said he doesn’t do this .
So far my mum went again to hospital from Infection vomiting and Diarrhea . Every day we have to clean and wash her .
I have made the points of the risk of falling and injuring someone aswell as her health but to no avail .
Is there some department i can speak to higher than HIA like the funding department to know if they are telling the truth and mum’s situation ?
Thank you Zoe
Hello Zoe
It is the Council you need to keep on top of, because as the HIA says, the work can’t commence until the grant application has been approved.
I would contact the occupational therapist who assessed your mother’s home for the grant, and ask them to get you an update on progress. Or you could contact the housing department directly yourself and find out what is going on.
They are supposed to give a decision within six months, and complete the work within a year after that.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
I see from information above that DLA is disregarded when assessing income for contribution towards a DFG – does this apply to PIP too – my daughter receives the highest rate for both care and mobility.
Hello Troy
The way that your financial situation is assessed for DFG is quite unusual. As well as looking at any savings over £6000, they work out how much income they think you need to live on, and then compare that with the amount of income you actually have. If you have more coming in, they will consider whether that could be used to pay off a loan if you were asked to contribute to the cost of the works.
Logically, if DLA and Attendance Allowance are disregarded as income, PIP should be as well. But I can’t find anything definitive in this respect.
If your daughter is under 19 the grant isn’t means tested at all.
Best wishes,
Frances
Loft room double bedroom
Kitchen wall smashed right to the fence then bricking it up and going all the way to 6 foot
Sauna shower toilet and 2 rooms to come out of that space, will I get government funding towards the work? I’m registered disabled
To find out whether you are eligible, you need to apply to your local council.
Contact the social services department and tell them you want to apply for a disabled facilities grant.
Best wishes,
Frances
Can get grant for sauna and gm on my house?
Almost certainly not, I’m afraid. The grant is available to pay for adaptations that enable a person to live safely in their own home.
I live on the wirral merseyside , I had a DFG for my Housing Association property two yrs ago for a chair lift and a wet room, I now feel I need to downsize and wish to swap homes with another person who rents with the same association my question is will I have to pay back the grant?
Thank you
Hello Frances
The principle is that you need to occupy the property for five years, otherwise you need to pay back at least part of the grant.
Best wishes,
Frances
Hiii
I am 45 and we applied for a disability grant for son which went through last year . then because of covid everything was stopped he has mental health and takes his cloths of everywhere , Breaks all the walls toilets in the house even took electric wires out . Have 14/12 year old young kids
Problem is they have me 30 k grant but now they topping it up with another 10 k which they want me to contribute as if Injad that much money first place I wouldn’t have asked for grant and they want this 10 k on the property so if anything happens to owner
You have to give it back straight away
Or sell the property so if we sell property where would we go and on top of that 30k we also have 10k to pay any help or ideas ? As I have extra room which I can convert in to the toilet which survival guy making excuses and we are going crazy with my son breaking everyday toilet and everything x
Hello
I am so sorry to hear of the situation you find yourselves in – I can’t begin to imagine how difficult life must be for your family.
It is standard practice for up to a maximum of £10,000 to be put as a charge against the property, so that if it is sold within 10 years of the works being completed, the local authority can recover that amount of money. It’s something you need to think about if you intend to move.
Do you have a good occupational therapist managing your Application? They may be able to move things along so you can get the work done as quickly as possible.
Good luck and best wishes
Frances
Hi , I’m reg disabled ,on pip etc etc, if I apply for a grant from local council( own my home) can I ask for a downstairs toilet with a utility room or do I have to ask for complete bathroom, walk in shower etc ?
Hi LJ
An OT or DFG Assessor will visit your home and recommend what you need in order to live there more safely and comfortably. They won’t insist on unnecessary work – and you are part of the process, so you should explain to them what you want to achieve.
Best wishes,
Frances
Is it on government grant
Hello – this grant is provided through local government. You need to apply to your local council.
I am a 55 male..I was assulted by my social worker and for all the thanks from there dept and police ..iv had my confideniality broken and inhouse builders say they wont come to my house ever.to managers and s.s workers both key to exspect to be payed for doing nothing over the 4 years of waiting…told to find my own builders and submit my own plans and daughter forced to deal on my behalf as banned from talking direct with them..i then find a builder WHO was told look £40.000 is the limit for dfg he only goes and wacks me stupid with a £62.000 bill..excuse me im disabled nt stupid even someone who drug deals cant earn that sum of money how could they exspect me with only my own family with 2 of my children with special needs to find £62.000..even more so nt even on my house its housein assoiation ..because i need wife in same room who is also my unpaid carer i need a big enough exstention for my power chair and hoist system……iv never been aboused if other goverment was in power..im sick off it…..need help please…
Hello Tony
You sound like you’re in a really difficult situation, but unfortunately it’s not something Independent Living would be able to help with – we are just an information website. I recommend that you get in touch with your local citizens advice bureau and see what they suggest.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Sound like your MP is your best starting point. The MP will know who you need to see as it may be a lawyer from a charity which will fight your case. You can often find charities that work for you with your illness they often have the ability to finance a lawyer.
We have two disabled children and we have already had some work carried out by the council (wet room, though lift and widening of some doors – total spend £24.000). Our children are both in wheelchairs but are obviously growing and getting bigger. As a result the wet room and the children two bedrooms are now becoming far too small. In fact it’s become increasingly difficult to safely bathe them and move them when upstairs. There’s hardly any room to manoeuvred the wheelchairs into their bedrooms and the wet room. As a result we have requested an extension (bearing in mind that we have only used half of what is available – £30.000 per child). The council are doing everything they can to prevent this (suggesting we use our downstairs utility which is next to the kitchen as a wet room. Where we are supposed to out our washer, dishwasher and dryer plus al our daughters feed (she’s peg fed) I don’t. There’s lots of other unrealistic and ludicrous suggestions that have been made. We have even considered moving house but that’s something we don’t want to do due to upheaval/expense etc. We were even told that if we did and reapplied for adaptations in our new property they would only grant us £10.000! Our children will soon be adults but the adaptation we have are for children. We are totally frustrated and are considering taken are care to the Ombudsman. Your thoughts/comments would be appreciated.
Hello Kevin
I’m sorry to hear of the difficult living conditions your family is struggling with.
Before going to the ombudsman, you first need to exhaust the council’s own complaints procedure. You should find details of this on their website.
You can also complain to the council’s monitoring officer if you feel that the attempts to frustrate your application for a DFG are causing the council to be in breach of their legal duties. The monitoring officer is independent, and has a statutory obligation to investigate any incident of alleged unlawfulness brought to their attention. You can read more here https://www.independentliving.co.uk/advice/taking-on-a-local-authority/
If these measures are unsuccessful, you then have the ombudsman as the final arbiter.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Use your local MP they will put you in in to the right area. What’s a look at your disability or your child’s disability in your case often there are charities that have the ability to send to a solicitor. Normally when an MP is involved the council will soon back down.
My mother had a grant and the work was completed in my house for her in august 2016. She unfortunately passed away in January 2021 and I am currently selling my house. Will I need to pay back the grant money on her behalf as she hasn’t lived in the house for the full five years
Hello Amanda
Technically, councils can ask for part repayment of a DFG over £5000 if the adapted property is sold within ten years. I think that given your mother lived there for nearly the whole five year period, it would be rather harsh for them to do so. £10,000 is what they can claim against the property. You will be able to see whether they have put a charge on your house at the land registry – ask the solicitor who is handling your sale. If so, it’s probably better to get in touch sooner rather than later, and negotiate a solution.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi they have decided to charge me 😔
I’m so sorry, Amanda. Try challenging them – you never know, you might get somewhere…
Good luck!
Hello, my 88 year old mom has been living with us for 3 years as she sadly suffers from dementia and could no longer live alone. Her OT recommended ground floor sleeping and bathing as her mobility is extremely poor and she struggled with stairs, she is also epileptic so could not use a stairlift. The grant was approved well over twelve months ago but because of covid, things understandably have taken much longer to start. It was agreed the garage would be converted to meet her needs and the work is due to start 1st March. My question is during the delay and really over just the last few weeks, moms mental state has deteriorated dramatically, I will not let her go into a home unless I really have no choice but because of her deterioration, I’m thinking that she may need to go into more specialist care within the next couple of years, if that happens, would I be expected to pay back some of the DFG. I’m 62 and had to give up working to look after my mom and my husband also retired at 63 to help me look after her so we live on only our private pension with little savings. If we do have to pay back an anount, I may have to consider stopping the work. I’m always completely honest about everything and feel if mom does have to go into a home within the 5 year period, I can’t be left with a debt. I thank you for your advice, I have left messages for my own authority to come back to me on my query but so far they haven’t responded. Kindest regards
Glenda
Hello Glenda
I don’t think this is something you need to be worrying about. What the regulations say is that “the disabled person must have lived, or be intending to live, in the property in question for at least five years, or for such a shorter period as their health and other relevant circumstances permit. So if your mother did have to move into a care environment sooner than five years, you wouldn’t be expected to pay back some of the grant.
I hope that the work will now proceed quickly, so that you and your husband can care for your mother more easily.
Best wishes,
Frances
Hi my father has recently suffered a stroke. He has been suffering mini strokes for past few months. He can’t manage the stairs and downstairs is only a toilet. Can we apply for a grant to have the conservatory converted to a bedroom with wet room?
Hello Fozia
Yes you can – Disabled Facilities Grants are intended to make homes safe and accessible for their disabled residents. You apply to your local council, and they will send an OT or similar to assess the home and your father’s needs, to see whether any necessary adaptations are feasible.
The grants are means tested, so they will take into account your father’s income and any savings.
Best wishes,
Frances
The answer we’ll be from an occupational therapist if you call call care direct they will put you in touch with your occupational therapist who will make the judgement if a wet room is needed. They may provide you with a stairlift. It all depends on the occupational therapist if they deem it needed then a grant or a loan will be provided by the local council. Again I’m not good patient or therapists will guide you through this situation. Don’t forget also so to get a social worker so your dad can get the care he needs. Working sons and daughters don’t have time I’m to look after their mums and dads.. make this clear to the social worker that you have a working life and a family of your own this will build up a better case and give your father more care time . They will suggest either having a care person or which I find is much better is a care package where you can spend the money that they provide on the care that your father will need by using a self-employed person. I have a good friend who looks after me and he gets roughly £14 an hour self-employed.
Hi, I have a daughter with complexed needs cerebral palsy, epilepsy,learning disabilities, autism,pathological demand avoidance.myself and husband moved into a 2 bedroom bungalow 6 months ago with my daughter so we could learn her how to manage and become mor independent with support for the future. My husband and her are a joint tenant has it was quicker to get the bungalow has he was 60 and she has the disabilities. The problem we are having at moment is lack of space and the pressure of our caring role has had a impact on out marriage and my mental health. Has obviously no escape from each other. Would a disabled facility grant be looked into for a loft conversation or side extension maybe? She has just been awarded full CHC funding. I have health issues myself now. myself and husband take it in turns sleeping on the sofa. Any information advice would be grateful. Thankyou My daughter is 25 now and will always need support.
Hello Lynne
I am sorry to hear of the difficult situation you find yourselves in – I can only imagine how hard it must be for you.
Unfortunately, I fear that the local authority’s view will be that a couple with one grown-up daughter have an adequate amount of space in a two bedroom bungalow.
A disabled facilities grant is normally applied to projects such as replacing a bath with a shower or providing ground floor facilities where somebody can’t manage stairs.
You could try contacting them anyway, explaining what difficulties you are experiencing, and ask for them to come and assess your property to see whether there is scope for any grant-aided works to make it more accessible.
Best wishes,
Frances
Please don’t think you are alone many parents feel it’s their duty to look after a child. It is extremely difficult and like you are finding it puts a lot of pressure on you and your loved one. Try to find out your local charity you will often find they are great at finding situations with a caseworker where you will get support. You can also call call care direct and ask for a social worker. Make sure the social worker knows that you have a life of your own make it more apparent to the social worker that you need time I’m for your own needs and this is why the social services will provide care. The best thing is to to have a care package made up up&up of time and needs. Once this is done they will offer you the choice of having carers come in . Or which I find better a care package where the money is paid into your bank and you can spend it on self-employed people who you can trust and feel they are there for your daughter and not just racing in and out of your home social firms that only look after their selves. My friend does my care needs self-employed and gets paid by myself through this money that comes to me from social services. It’s roughly £14 an hour so it can work out quite good. I get the best care because my friend gives me more of his time I’m on like other companies that just come in for 15 minutes and run away. Please look at social services care direct and obviously get a occupational therapist for other problems they will provide you with the information you need
hello
we have a son who has autism and challenging behaviour, who is 19, due to past experiences in education hes lost trust in people and loses it really quickly. there are very few people that can work with him. we currently pay someone through a direct payment to support him 15 hours pre week. Hes still in fulltime education currently. And accesses two nights respite a week connected to his school. we are hoping he may go to specialist college next September but we are looking at plan B as our LEA are fighting against us as its expensive, per year somewhere around 200k.
We would like him to try living away from home because his behaviour, through no fault of his own, is challenging and not acceptable around around two young children. but we are very aware that he could end up being misunderstood in his semi independent accomodation that they’ve suggested? our biggest worry his being sectioned under the mental health act. Plan B could be to have our house extended to mean he could have his own space. someone on a personal budget could support him and we have control over who this may be. we have a lot of space to build on the front of our house, not the side but front has a 30 foot drive. currently our internal garage was converted to accomodate him but due to his behaviour and noise he makes every hour day and night it was insulated. so well its suffocating in summer, and he wont open windows due to bugs or people climbing in. currently it is just a bedroom.
he gets enhanced personal independent payment for both so considered disabled to a high degree. so my question is will the council be up for having a serious conversation about helping us with a grant? are grants only for people with physical difficulites? for a wet room and a living come kitchen small room it could work for him. surely cheaper than providing shared living that may be less likely to work anyway as hes very particual about who he’ll be around. ive looked on our councils website, very middle class area we live in, and can only see ‘physical disablities’ mentioned and a OT coming round to assess.
Hello Emma
Disabled Facilities Grants are there for people with significant long-term disabilities, they don’t have to be purely physical. I would certainly apply for one – though as your son is now over 18, they are means-tested, so the amount of money you might receive will depend on your own financial situation, as well as the cost of the adaptations required.
It usually is an occupational therapist who comes round to assess the situation, but it may not be. There is a shortage of OTs, so it could be someone who has had training in DFG assessments.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi, My sister lives in a housing association property (3 bed). She has 2 boys with CF and a 15 month old daughter who does not have CF. My sister has been in touch with her housing officer regarding converting the dining room to a bedroom for her eldest son as her daughter shares a bedroom with her. We are talking about erecting some plasterboard and maybe moving a radiator a few inches nothing structural will change and is not major works. My sister has been advised if this is approved then she will be charged extra rent for the extra bedroom (although this only will be classed as a bedroom by a piece of plasterboard). Is this correct that extra rent could be charged via a DFG requirement? TY
Hello Jane
That seems extremely unfair. Is the current dining room actually one of the three bedrooms? I am assuming that the plan is to divide it so that an extra room is created. Unfortunately, the government guidelines for setting rents in social housing say that the number of bedrooms dictates the size of the house. Which means that she would be going from a 3 bed to 4 bed property, even though it still has the same amount of space.
Maybe it’s possible for her to negotiate with the landlords, perhaps reclassifying a room so that she isn’t caught in this way? It would depend how sympathetic they are, but worth a try, anyway.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi, I have a number of questions, that i would like help with please, some of these should benefit many others.
This is a estranged household of 2 very disabled people “A” & “B”, who lead own lifes, in their privately owned house.
They receive pension credit, & both 24/7 highest rate of care & mobility..
1) “B” Applied and obtained, a twin stairs rail, which she needs for her grip & legs, following years of “B” leg surgery’s.
“A” Has now become more inoperable bone degeneration fragile, & Council want to put in a stair chair for “A”,
& remove the new 2nd, stairs bannister rail that “B” depends upon. This has horrified “B” who depends on
the twin rails, including for her leg exercising, & does not want or need a stair lift.
She is a half owner of the house etc.
The “A” OT makes it clear, that a stair chair for “A” would only be short term solution, & would later need
to be a wheel chair stair lift, & the long term should be, the large downstairs utility room, made into a
bedroom, as it already has the new, separate shower wet room fitted at the end, inside the utility room
What are “B” rights to keep the twin stair rails, & stop a chair lift which she does not want there.
Between the stair rails is also 28″ which should really prevent a stairs chair, but Council want to do it if they can.
2) In 2019 an “A” application was made for downstairs toilet & sink, a Private OT, was pre-agreed with the Council, private OT did report. Due to all the known ever increasing “A” medical needs, DFG was accepted, & “A” received a grant for a downstairs shower wet room, which was fitted at end of a large utility room, which utility room, at a later day was to become a bedroom. The utility room, is dual brick, etc, just un-plastered, & would need suitable floor insulation etc. The OT states that this is the long term solution, but has to mention the stair lift, for a short term alternative.
The Council wish to opt for, or force a short term solution of the forced stair lift, how can this be contested,
3) Due to exceptional circumstances of negligence,& legal issues. “A” cannot use the Council OT’s.
It is pre-agreed with the Council Adult Care Director, that “A” can use private agreed OT & they will repay the OT fee.
The rules are, that anyone can us the Council OT’s for free, & win or lose a DFG application, the OT is completely free all paid for by the Council. So there is no risk or charge of anyone to using the Council OT.
DFG rules on the Council are, OT fees are, that if a person applies for a DFG & IF it is granted, then the council can reclaim the OT fee back from the GOV. If the DFG is declined the GOV will NOT repay the Council the OT fee.
For reasons the Council in 2020 will not explain, it has now refused to pay the private OT fee, stating it will only be repaid if the DFG is allowed. This is a total change from 2019, where the Equalities Act people wrote to the Council director, about these dual standards, in that win or lose, every one else got the OT utterly free & without any terms of conditions, & the director agreed, & instantly repaid the private ot fee.
In 2020 the private OT fee is cheaper than last year, & the cost amount is the same as what the Councils OT charge the Council in any event, & yet the Council are refusing to reply or repay the OT money, until DFG is allowed
What are my my options here, as it is clear discrimination, as under Sec 6 & 15 etc of the Equality act 2010..
4) If a person applies for a DFG grant, & are successful, once DFG completed, are the DFG applicant entitled to obtain such as with a Subject Access Request, to see the costing, & claims & payments made to / by the Council & or the contractors, with the dates etc. etc. An issue has come up about a payment & the date of it, towards when DFG OT fee was paid to “A” & when the DFG was actually granted.
Hello
This sounds like a really complicated situation, and one which I’m not really qualified to advise on. Hopefully someone else maybe able to do so.
One thing that does stand out, though, is the idea of installing a stairlift as a short term solution, particularly as doing so will cause problems for the other resident. Has a powered stairclimber been considered? No installation or removal of hand rails required, and it only requires one carer to operate.
There is more information here: https://www.independentliving.co.uk/supplier/aat/
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
.I AM A 70 YEAR OLD LADY I LIVE IN ABUNGALOW OWNED BY SANCTUARY HOUSING IN ANCHOR COURT LITTLE PORT I HAVE POOR MOBILITY IN BOTH LEGS AND A HEART CONDITION WHICH I AM TAKING MEDICATION FOR BOTH CONDITION WHAT I AM TRYING TO APPLY FOR IS A GRANT TO..HAVE TO 2 RAMPS SO I CAN GET MY MOBILITY SCOOTER INTO A SHED .HAS THERE ARE 2.STEPS TO GET MY SCOOTER INTO THE SHED ALSO TO TRY AND GET A PLUG TO RECHARGE MY SCOOTER FROM OUTSIDE THE MANAGER DOES NOT WANT ME TO RECHARGE IT FROM THE BUNGALOW IN CASE OF FIRE BUT I AM VERY CAREFUL AND UNPLUG IT HAS SOON AS IT IS RECHARGED. I HAD A ELECTRICIAN OUT FROM SANCTUARY ABOUT THE PLUG HE SAYS IT CAN NOT BE DONE HE TOOK PHOTOS OF PROBLEM . I NURSED FOR 17 YEARS WHY IS THERE NO CARE IN THE COMMUNITY I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE CREAM FOR MY LEGS ON PRESCRIPTION BECAUSE THE .GOV.ERMENT AS STATED ON ONE OF THE LISTS THEY SEND OUT THAT IT CAN NOT BE ON FREE PRESCRIPTION ITS 7.00 ABOTTLE AND I KNOW HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE MY MEDICATION DELIVERED THEY WANT HAS TO LIVE INDEPENDANTLY BUT THERE NO SUPPORT.
Hello Ellen
I am sorry to hear about your difficulties.
You may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant for the ramped access required for your mobility scooter. You need to get in touch with your local council about this. Contact either the housing department or environmental health department and ask them to send you an application form.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi , My Daughters OT has recommended a down stairs bedroom and wetroom for my daughter who is non-verbal and wheelchair bound . The OT told me she will fill in forms to suggest this . Can u tell me what happens next ?
Hello Jacqueline
Once the application for a DFG has been made, the council should let you know the decision within six months. If your daughter is over 18, the grant is means-tested, so they will make a financial assessment of your situation as well. You may also need to apply for planning permission and/or building regs approval.
Best wishes,
Frances
Thankyou ? my daughters 11 years old . I understand there is a 6 month wait , is there a band or point system that priorities the waiting list ? We live in Birmingham not sure if every council is different .
Hi Jacqueline
Councils do prioritise DFG applications in different ways, with some combination of Urgency of need; Date of application; Funds available.
I haven’t been able to find details of Birmingham’s approach, unfortunately.
I think you need to keep on top of your application, by making contact at reasonable intervals to ask how it is progressing. Your OT can be helpful in this regard, as well. Their assessment can include information about how urgently the adaptation is needed.
Good luck – I hope you don’t have to wait too long.
Frances
Hello, I am disabled and over the financial limit for a total grant. I reguire an extension for a walk in wet room. What percentage would the council pay towards carrying out this reguirement.
Hello Susan
The amounts they would pay depends on your income, any savings, and what the council assesses as reasonable financial outgoings (actual expenditure is not considered).
Savings under £6000 are disregarded. If you have a partner, your joint income will be assessed. Some benefits, such as Income Support and Disability Living Allowance, are also disregarded for the purpose of calculating the grant.
Best wishes,
Frances
I own a 3 bed house, and have 2 girls 10 and 16, 10 yr old has Down Syndrome. Since the lockdown the ex hub (kids dad ) has stayed with us, but now we are considering us all living together again, however we all require separate rooms. I have a detached single garage on my property, would I be able to apply for a grant to convert this into an annex for my daughter with Downs. We are thinking long term and want her to be independent, however she has severe learning disabilities so will always need to be supervised.. Any idea’s, or would i be able to get help with a loft conversion for her?
Thanks x
Hello Lisa
It might be worth exploring with your local authority whether they would consider a DFG so that you can provide more independent accommodation for your daughter. Though given that she is currently only 10, and council budgets are constrained, I would not be entirely confident of a successful outcome. Always worth asking, though.
Best wishes,
Frances
My mum currently lives alone in a bungalow and has parkinsons, I care for her at present, but its difficult managing two households with children etc would it be possible to get help via a grant to extend her bungalow so we could move in together to care for her, I would have preffered to move mum in with me but we currently live in a housing association house which is a 2 up 2 down and doesn’t have a downstairs bathroom, in order to move in with mum the bungalow will need another bedroom as there are 4 of us.
Hello Alison
I suggest that you contact the housing department at the local council, to find out what support they are able to offer. Alternatively, your housing association might be able to help with a more suitable property that you could all live in.
If you don’t get anywhere with these suggestions, I recommend contacting Shelter https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help (external link will open in a new browser window)
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi Frances,
Thank you for your reply.
I think the probability of being offered a suitable home which would have to have a downstairs bathroom and bedroom and a further 2/3 bedrooms would be very remote. Is there no other option of a grant, or some form of financial help, to build an extension for a further bedroom on the bungalow, as this seems the most fitting option due to the existing layout.
Have you asked the housing department of your mother’s local council about a DFG for extending the bungalow? That is the only potential grant I can think of. They can sometimes also help with costs of relocating, if the current property is unsuitable, but I can see that it might be hard to find another property that meets the needs of all of you.
Best wishes,
Frances
I own my own ex council property. OT recommended a downstairs wet room and bedroom as I can’t access upstairs. We have successfully been granted a DFG. I’m not sure there is sufficient room in the garden to extend the house. Would I be given help to buy a more suitable property, as I can’t afford to rent, any suggestions pls
Hello Sue
I think it would be very optimistic to expect financial help to move, unfortunately. What about the grant you have been awarded? Presumably, when they assessed your property they took into account the size of the garden when planning the new extension?
Best wishes,
Frances
Hello I live in housing association house and my daughter and three kids live with me now as she is my career,but it’s only a two bedroom so we are very overcrowded,I asked for an extension on the house as there is a lot of space out the back garden,but I can’t even get an ot to visit and the housing association won’t do anything to help,I have been in touch with my mp but everyone is just ignoring her and me can you please advise me ty
Hello Mandy
I can see that your situation is very difficult, with so many people occupying a small property. I am not sure that councils will be sending assessors out on home visits during the current crisis, so there will inevitably be a delay until we can find our way out of lockdown.
I suggest that you get the process of applying for a DFG underway in any case. You need to contact the housing department or environmental health department at your local authority and ask them to send you an application form to fill in.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hello and thank you for your reply,I asked for a ot assessment last year but they wouldn’t give me an appointment to come out long before Covid and also asked housing landlord but they just kept saying they don’t know and never been given a dfg for a tenant,my housing association really don’t know about them ,Am at a loss especially as we can’t social distance at home as I sleep in the living room.
Yours sincerely
Mandy burns
Hello again Mandy
I can see that it’s very difficult, especially as you aren’t getting any help from your landlord.
My suggestion is still to contact the housing or environmental health department at your local council and ask them to send you an application form for a DFG.
Then you will at least be able to get the process started.
Good luck,
Frances
My 90 year old mom in law has been awarded a grant to have a ground floor bathroom built, an extension from her kitchen.
In the paperwork from the Council it says she must remain in the property for 5 years from completion, what will happen if within this time she has to go into a care home or if she dies. No one can predict the future but it’s worrying her & is if I’m honest.
Hello Carole
She is signing to confirm that she intends to stay in the property, but if circumstances change, and she is unable to remain there, the grant wouldn’t have to be repaid.
However the Local Authority does have discretion to place a local land charge on the property for grants between £5k and £15k. If they do that, it means that the money would be paid back to them at some future time when the property was sold.
I hope this helps. Please don’t hesitate to come back to me if there is anything else you would like to ask.
Best wishes,
Frances
Hi I am looking to request a grant towards facilitating a sensory room for my child with ASD and ADHD whom has sensory processing disorder. Have a conservatory that he could use to self regulate and seek out sensory feedback however the room is either too cold or too hot in the summer and the noise from the corrigated roof when it rains prevents him from entering the room due to the noise. Would these be accepted as a way of facilitating his needs and keeping him safe Along with supporting independent living in the future.
I live in a council house I struggle with cleaning myself after using toilet I have fibromyalgia and arthritis I get PIP and also universal credit with a limited work capability . Can apply for DLG to get a wash clean flush toilet ?
Hello Peter
I think it would be reasonable for you to apply for a DFG. You need to contact the housing dept at your local council in the first instance. Grants are means-tested, so the amount of money you may get will depend on your savings and income.
Best wishes, Frances
A family member who owns her own home is disabled in receipt of benefits and has walking difficulties. Her drive way has eroded due to water damage and made her steep drive very uneven.
She has a hand rail but had several near misses.
The council have come and fitted a soak away at the top of the drive to prevent it getting any worse.
Would she be able to apply for a grant to help her repair the driveway.
Hello
It would certainly be worth trying. The grants are intended to help people with disabilities to live safely and independently in their own home – it sounds as though your relative’s situation qualifies in that respect.
First step is to contact the housing or environmental health department at the local council, and ask for an application form. It is important not to start any works before the grant is approved.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
As a disabled person designing a new home for two, probably three, disabled people to live in does the DFG facility extend to new build
Hello Paul
The purpose of the DFG is to improve existing housing stock, so I am afraid you wouldn’t be able to apply for this grant for a new build.
There may be other sources of finance available – you could research possibilities on the Disability Grants website (external link will open in a new browser window)
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
We live in a housing association property and are having to move to a different property that the surveyor considered more suitable and less costly for adapting The new property requires adaptions to be carried out before we can move in and a DFG is being applied for by the OT/surveyor. My question is what level of communication and involvement and choice should we expect to have in the process. For example, I have asked (by email) if upgraded heating units (at least in the main living area) could be included in the DFG (to meet medical needs) but have had no reply to my email from the surveyor or the OT. We really need to know what adaptions are going to be made and if these adaptions will meet our needs and allow my husband to live as independently as possible before we sign the new tenancy agreement.
Hello Sandra
Although there are targets for some aspects of DFGs, such as how long you should have to wait for a decision after applying (maximum six months), I am not aware of any general standards for communication. And householder choice does not always seem to figure very highly on the list – though to be fair, I tend to hear from unhappy people rather than happy ones.
You clearly do need good communication with the OT and surveyor, to make sure that your potential new home will meet your husband’s needs. All I can suggest is that you keep on top of it from your end by email or phone, explaining that you need to know what’s proposed before you can sign a tenancy agreement. If you don’t hear back from them, and you would like me to try and find out more details for you, I am happy to do so. Just email me the details – editor@independentliving.co.uk
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
Hi, I live in a council property and I am in receipt of disability benefits only I do not work because of my disability. I use a wheel chair when needed as I have EDS and dislocate my joints and sometimes need my wheel chair for a few months while I am in pain and heeling. I can’t manage in my kitchen and my back door has a big step so I can not go outside in a wheelchair and a big brick out building stops the use of ramps. I can’t sit in my garden with my 3 year old. The OT said I can not claim a grant because I am not a full time wheelchair user and I live in a council property so I do not qualify for any grants. I have no savings. She said if I was a home owner or private tenant I would qualify. But not a council tenant. I will be getting a power chair in next couple of years but not quite at the stage yet for it but I am disabled and use a wheel chair a lot of the time. Any advice welcome.
Hello
I am a full time wheelchair user and we have been in our council place since March, the OT come out about getting a back ramp fitted and we was advised to wait until we had been here a year. However as time as gone on I have noticed I struggle around the kitchen for example I only have two cupboard I can reach, the only place the fridge can be put I can’t really get to because of the place it is located, along with the work surfaces being high for me so I struggle.
Would this be something the DFG would look at putting in after my year is up?
Hello Lisa
I think it’s definitely worth applying for a DFG for all the adaptations you require in order to make your home accessible for you.
As you probably know, the grants are means-tested, so how much they will pay for the works that the OT decides are necessary will depend on your income and any savings.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
hello, I am thinking about applying for a DLG.
My step at the conservatory door leading into the garden has rotted away and I wondered if I would be able to apply for a new one.
Also my house gets extremely cold in the Winter due to poorly fitting windows and front door, would I be able to apply for new windows and door.
My guttering is leaking in 4 places and it is dangerous in Winter when it ices up, would I be able to apply to have the guttering repaired or replaced.
I have a back boiler and have been told by British gas it is dangerous to use my fire as I don’t have adequate ventilation in the room with the fire, also I wondered if I would be able to apply for a combi boiler through the DLG.
I have tried applying for a combi boiler through the ECO scheme as I am currently claiming universal credit and I get pip. I was told I only qualify for 20% towards a combi boiler.
I was also wondering if I am able to apply for a new roof
Hello Julie
Unfortunately, the sort of repairs that your house needs are not covered by a Disabled Facilities Grant. It is there to make inaccessible homes accessible for people with disabilities, so, for example, if you were a wheelchair user, you could apply for a grant to help with the costs of access ramps or widening doorways.
You could try contacting your local Home Improvement Agency, they should be able to give you advice about any support that may be available to help you improve the condition of your home. You can search for the nearest HIA on their website: http://www.findmyhia.org.uk
Best wishes, Frances
Hi, My OT came out and discussed how a downstairs bathroom and bedroom would be what I needed. I’m disabled through arthritis since I was young and I have also recently been diagnosed with having fibromyalgia. I’m only 46 but I really miss my job (I worked full time in a primary school) as my life has drastically changed lately through ill health. My local council awarded me a DFG and plans for a downstairs extension we’re drawn up. It was getting close to the contractors coming out when the people at the council decided we earn too much and everything stopped. It’s bought heartache and frustration to me as I won’t get my electric wheelchair if the house isn’t adapted. I’m devastated. I’m 46 and I’m like a goldfish trapped in a bowl.
Hi Izzy – first thing I would say is that if your sister is thinking of applying for a grant, it’s really important that she doesn’t start doing any work until it has been awarded. If she does, she won’t get anything. Abacus Healthcare are really helpful, and they will be able to advise her about anything that needs to be changed in the bathroom, to accommodate the new bath. They may be able to help with applying for the DFG, as well…
Thank you for writing this I had no idea this was a thing so this is brilliant news! I’m glad I stumbled upon this but I’m actually on here because I’m currently helping my sister with her new bathroom. Very sadly my nephew was recently in an accident which has caused him to have reduced movability, luckily he’s slowly on the road to recovery at home but my sister wants to install a few assistance devices so she can help look after him as best she can. Basically I was wondering if there was any specific bathroom alterations that needed to be made in order to accommodate this? I know for example that she is getting a special assisted bath with a seat with adjustable height, is there any special tiling or flooring that is needed for this? I know she’s getting the bath from a company called Abacus ( this is the kind of bath she’s getting: http://www.abacushealthcare.co.uk/aquanova-baths/ ). I don’t know if that helps with providing any more information at all? Will my sister need to plan anything differently to accommodate the bath or will it just be a case of simply installing it? I’d be ever so grateful if anyone could provide some insight here, it would be such a big help to us both! Thank you everyone!
My neighbours have been given a grant and are extending their council house. I own mine.
It going to impact on my light in my home.
I’ve received nothing from the council in terms of planning permission. Is there anything I can do?
As far as your situation goes, if the extension is at the back of the house and within certain size limits, it is a permitted development, and doesn’t require planning permission. You can read the exact requirements here:
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/17/extensions
If the projected extension goes beyond this, then you should contact the local authority straightaway and let them know about your objections.
Not as plain sailing as it sounds. My mother qualified for the funding, but was only granted a through floor lift, which meant the bedroom she has too share with her 16 year old grandson would only accommodate her bed. Council told us that finding somewhere for my 16 old son to sleep was not there problem. So I am left with having to assist my partially blind 86 year old mother with lifting her legs up the stairs. If she goes in a home that will set the Taxpayer back 30,000 a year, where’s the logic? And promoting independence for the elderly doesn’t even come in to it. Happy days.
I realise they cannot help everyone but we didn’t qualify because I work to pay the mortgage & other debts and Paul receives a private pension, we earn too much.
Feel as though we are being punished for trying to help ourselves, rather than rely on benefits.
Very interesting and relevant points – thank you for sharing