Disabled Facilities Grant
The authority will ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable,
that all those entitled to a Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant,
are afforded the opportunity to apply for and receive said
grant.
The grant applicant will normally be an owner-occupier, a
private sector tenant, a private sector landlord, or a Housing
Association tenant, although applications from prospective
occupiers can be considered.
The disabled person and any partner will normally be means
tested to determine how much, if anything, they must contribute to
the cost of the agreed works. If the disabled person is a
child, the means test is suspended. If the disabled person is
a private sector tenant, either the tenant and any partner will be
means tested, or the landlord will be means tested. There is
no fixed upper income or upper savings limit. Under
certain circumstances applicants can be passported to a
non-contributory grant.
In all cases the works must be necessary and appropriate to the
needs of the disabled person and must be reasonable and practicable
having regard to the age and condition of the dwelling.
The authority works in partnership with Kent County Council
Social Services in the matter of disabled adaptations and in any
case must receive a recommendation from an Occupational
Therapist from either Adult Services or Children, Families and
Education, in respect of the adaptations required.
“Disabled person” is defined in the governing legislation.
The authority would normally expect Housing Associations to
undertake adaptations from within their own resources, however,
under exceptional circumstances, Housing Association tenants’
applications will be entertained.
The maximum grant in any case is £30,000.00.
The works for which grant aid will normally be awarded are –
- To facilitate access to and from the dwelling.
- To make the dwelling safe.
- To facilitate access to the principal family room.
- To facilitate access to a room for sleeping.
- To facilitate access to an existing toilet or to provide an
accessible toilet.
- To facilitate access to a bath/shower room or to provide an
accessible bath/shower room.
- To facilitate access to a wash hand basin or to provide an
accessible wash hand basin.
- To facilitate the preparation and cooking of food.
- To improve or provide a suitable heating system.
- To facilitate the use of power, light or heat by adapting
existing controls or providing new controls.
- To enable the care of another person normally present in the
property, and in need of care.
- To facilitate access to a garden area.
The governing legislation is the Housing Grants, Construction
and Regeneration Act 1996 as amended by the Regulatory Reform
(Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 and the Housing
Act 2004.
The Order extended the availability of grant to those
living in mobile/park homes and and to those living in
house-boats.
The Disabled Facilities Grant legislation is complex and the
above is a brief synopsis of the main provisions. Anyone who
has mobility problems or is experiencing difficulty accessing their
home, or the facilities within it, is advised to enquire further as
other assistance may be available if a Disabled Facilities Grant is
inappropriate.
This webpage was updated on
10/1/2010