Disabled Facilities Grant – York commentary archive site

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

163 people qualified for disabled facilities grants in York last year.

This is the largest number ever recorded.

On average the cost of adaptations was £5,315.

People with disabilities can get a grant of up to £30,00 from the Council..

The types of work that can be undertaken include:

widen doors and install ramps
improve access to rooms and facilities – e.g. stair lifts or a downstairs bathroom
provide a heating system suitable for your needs
adapt heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use

Applications are means tested so some applicants are required to pay for part of the costs. Applicants are required to continue living in the adapted property for at least 5 years.

The total bill for adaptations came to over £1 million last year. However, this is much less than the equivalent cost of institutional care. The modifications allow residents to remain in their own homes even after suffering a decline in health.

The York Council also improved the speed with which it dealt with applications and the time taken to make grants.

More details for applicants can be found by clicking here

Disabled Facilities Grants – Response to FOI request