The York Council will be reviewing the amount of help that it is able to give needy home owners in York when it meets on 19th June.
Recommendations are being made on how increased funding, totalling £1.1 million, from the governments “Better Care Fund” will be allocated. This may mean some changes to the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) system.
Up to £30,000 can be loaned or granted to qualifying homeowners to make changes to allow disabled people to continue to live in their own homes. The grants have been means tested in the past but that will no longer be the case fro smaller grants in the future.
Typically the grants are spent on:
- Facilitating access to and from the dwelling or building by the disabled occupant
- Making the dwelling or building safe for the disabled occupant
- Access to the principal family room by the disabled occupant
- Access to or providing a bedroom for the disabled occupant
- Access to or providing a room containing a bath or shower for the disabled occupant or facilitating the use by the occupant of such a facility
- Access to or providing a room containing a WC for the disabled occupant or facilitating the use by the occupant of such a facility
- Access to or providing a room containing a wash hand basin for the disabled occupant or facilitating the use by the occupant of such a facility
- Facilitating the preparation and cooking of food by the disabled person
- Improving or providing a heating system for the disabled person
- Facilitating the use of power, light or heat by the disabled person by altering same or providing additional means of control
- Facilitating access & movement around the dwelling to enable the disabled person to provide care for someone.
- Access to gardens
The scope of qualifying works is now being extended to include hazard remedies (such as excess cold), undertaking electrical repair works to a home where a new level access shower or lift is provided and undertaking an asbestos survey and removal of any asbestos
The Council is also simplifying the application process and hopes to reduce the time interval between applications for assistance being made and adaptations being completed.
A more comprehensive guide to the help available can be found by clicking here