Living independently at home

A disabled facilities grant (DFG) is a grant to help people with disabilities to adapt their homes to enable them to continue living there. This is a mandatory grant for works that have been recommended as essential and necessary by an Occupational Therapist of Warwickshire County Council.

The grant is for people who can no longer access facilities in and around their home, due to a range of conditions from being frail, elderly or with more pronounced disabilities.  It is provided to assist the person to adapt their home (including mobile homes and houseboats) to enable them to:

• Access the home and move freely around it, to be able to use facilities such as the living room, bedroom, bathroom or toilet
• Make a home safe for the resident
• Provide a room or access to a room suitable for sleeping if the existing rooms cannot be used for example if the person cannot get to the first floor and there are no suitable ground floor spaces
• Provide suitable toilet and washing, bathing or showering facilities
• Facilitate the preparation and cooking of food for example access to the kitchen or lowering of some work surfaces for wheel chair users
• Adapt heating, lighting and power installations to accommodate specific needs due to the condition

Eligible works

The works provided through this grant can only be approved following an assessment and referral by an Occupational Therapist or Housing Assessment Officer. These works can then assist those with limiting disabilities to access their home and essential facilities within it such as bathing, toileting and cooking, and to make it safe. 

Types of works which can be recommended:

• A stair lift
• A level access shower or 'wet room'
• Ramped access to the property
• Widening of doorways
• Minor works - grab rails and handrails
• An extension or conversion (e.g. garage) to your property where there are no alternative means of providing access to essential facilities, particularly on the ground floor

Who qualifies for the grant

Anyone can apply for this grant, whether they are a homeowner, private tenant, council tenant or housing association tenant. The applicant should contact the local authority for advice on how to apply for the disabled facilities grant.  This includes those with caring responsibilities for a child or dependent who lives with them

The grant is subject to an assessment of the individual's health and welfare needs. It also involves a financial means test which is only applicable to those in the owner occupied, private rented and housing association sectors - not Council tenants.

Most applicants with modest income and savings or on a means tested benefit like Guaranteed Pension Credit are required to make no contribution up to the grant maximum.

Children and young persons are exempt from the means test and in England the current maximum limit for the grant is £30,000.

The Council will determine whether the applicant is entitled to receive grant assistance, and will provide necessary technical and professional support to assist people to apply, and may refer or direct them to other services which could also assist in meeting their needs - like equipment and care providers.

Applications have to be decided within six months, but are often much quicker once assessments and application paperwork are completed. We can even assist you getting quotes from reliable contractors and services from experienced architects.

Qualifying benefits and financial means test

Some benefits allow residents to avoid the means test.

If you are not in receipt of the appropriate benefits then you will be required to have your income and expenditure looked at to calculate the contribution you may need to make (if any).  The means test part of the national legislation and is designed to calculate an amount that you could borrow from a bank or building society.

Adaptations for children are not means tested.

However if you are means tested then you will be financially assessed and may receive a grant to cover the full cost, up to the value of £30,000, or part of the cost of the required adaptation if you are assessed as having a contribution to make.

If the cost of works is higher than your contribution a grant could still be awarded.

You will be exempt from a financial assessment and get a full grant if you receive one of the qualifying benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Employment and Support Allowance (not contribution-based ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (not contribution-based JSA)
• Guarantee Pension Credit (not Savings Pension Credit alone)
• Housing Benefit
• Working Tax Credit and or Child Tax Credit. Provided that the houshold gross income does not exceed the threshold as assessed by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
• Universal Credit. This includes any Universal Credit which is being introduced from 2013 onwards as a replacement for working age benefits and tax credits.
• Council Tax Support

The maximum disabled facilites grant cannot exceed £30,000, however in Warwickshire we will consider discretionary financial assistance if the works cost more than £30,000 and there is sufficient funding available to allow for discretionary assistance.

Different Warwickshire authorities may reduce the discretionary funding available to ensure mandatory grants can be funded. 

An Occupational Therapist or Housing Assessment Officer will assess the capabilities and difficulties a person is having and whether any particular works are suitable to solve those problems.  Works will need to be necessary and appropriate for the person and the works will need to be reasonable and practical to carry out in the property.  

We will undertake an initial telephone screening assessment to see which of our services you may benefit from.

We may then visit you in your home to carry out a further assessment, explain the grant process, and assist with completion of application forms and any required means test.

We will identify any necessary solutions and  arrange for quotation(s) from suitable contractors. We will liaise with your contractor and ensure works are carried out in a satisfactory manner and to a good standard. Your contractor and/ or HEART will provide any necessary certification of the works and obtain any necessary Building Notice or Planning Approval.

HEART fees

The HEART service charge a fee of 15%. The fee, together with other fees associated with the works is normally grant paid for by the grant.  Please see fee policy statement for further details.