The works should be done by a contractor who provided one of the estimates for the application (section 38) unless the authority agrees otherwise. Approving DFGs in accordance with the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (the 1996 Act) (see, Providing housing assistance in accordance with a locally published Housing Assistance Policy under RRO powers (see. B120. The next step involves considering the home environment and identifying the potential solutions for adapting the home environment and meeting the needs of the person. It is a national charity for people with sight loss. For example, some authorities have seconded housing and social services staff into integrated teams that provide minor adaptations and equipment as part of a package of support including access to DFGs. Without accessible and adaptable housing, disabled people risk facing discrimination and disadvantage in housing. B13. Access to the garden should allow the disabled person to access their home or garden for drying clothes, playing or supervising play and gardening. 4.3 Whichever route is chosen, it is good practice to undertake reviews of the service set up at regular intervals to consider whether the service is still delivering the best outcomes possible and whether service improvements can be made. Residents are able to live independently with 24 hour access to support services and staff, and meals are also available. The age profile of the population can be drawn from Census data. Grants for individual conditions and disabilities. B82. The benefits of such a system are considerable: costs can be calculated directly from the specification, a cost of works fixed, and the level of grant assessed without waiting for tenders to be returned and evaluated. You can contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you need further advice on home improvements. Find out more on the Disability Grants website. Where there is no heating system or where the existing heating arrangements are unsuitable to meet the needs of the disabled person, a heating system may be provided. 5.9 Local authorities cannot make charges for processing grant applications or for responding to enquiries. While buying or renting a different property or moving into a care home might be the first options that spring to mind, there are many others you could consider. 3.42 Local authorities are free to decide their own policies and procedures through the general power to provide assistance. Well explain your options for taking money from your pension pots. 3.32 The RRO contains important protections relating to the giving of assistance, whether it is given as a grant, loan or another form of help. Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits data can be accessed through an online customer information system called Searchlight, so local authorities do not have to collect this information from the applicant. This could include home adaptation schemes that support people discharged from hospital and a home first approach. B123. 7.1 According to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the term assistive technology refers to products or systems that support and assist individuals with disabilities, restricted mobility or other impairments to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. However, there may be difficulties where there is a difference of opinion. For injured or disabled service personnel who live in Service Accommodation and continue to work in the Armed Forces, any adaptations for them or their dependents will be funded by the Ministry of Defence. MoneyHelper is the new, easy way to get clear, free, impartial help for all your money and pension choices. For specialist equipment such as stairlifts, homelifts, hoists and so on, authorities should consider how these items can be reclaimed, refurbished and recycled for use by others who may need them. Different rules apply where the application is made by a landlord (see para B108). The principal categories are: 3.37 In deciding which is the right financial product for any circumstance, local authorities will need to make a careful assessment of the financial position of the applicant. Landlords to manage the delivery of adaptations in their own stock, with investment over and above DFG to improve the long term accessibility of their stock reducing the number of adaptations that get ripped out upon change of tenancy. Local planning authorities can plan for senior co-housing communities through their implementation of the Self-build and custom-build legislation 2015, as some communities will be looking to build the development themselves. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Local authorities should clearly explain to applicants at the outset that any outlay an applicant makes without all appropriate approvals and confirmations from the authority is entirely at their own risk. Assistant Secretary. Disabled Facilities Grants are local council grants. Registered number 01436945 England Registered office: Citizens Advice, 3rd Floor North, 200 Aldersgate, London, EC1A 4HD, Problems with selling your home - delayed completion and lease options contracts. It was founded in 1965. B122. If you're disabled and the changes are to do with your disability, your landlord shouldn't refuse permission unless they have a good reason. provision of a statement that the owner of the property consents to the work being undertaken. The level of specification should be appropriate to the job. a system for checking that a correct decision has been made, for example by feeding back to the client or the referral agency the information which has been logged to ensure that it is correct. Your local authority must publish a policy explaining what kind of help they may give, who can get it, what information is available, how to apply for it and how to complain. Find out more about Family Action educational grants. You can get up to 30,000 in England, up to 36,000 in Wales and up to 25,000 in Northern Ireland. In all cases the client should sign to confirm their acceptance of the completed works. the relevant works are either small or very specialised; there is a known difficulty in finding contractors willing to undertake particular kinds of work; or. From: Department. It is up to the plan-making body to decide whether to allocate sites for specialist housing for older people. In fact, in 2019-20, around 1.9 million households in England had one or more people with a health condition that required adaptations to their home. A trustee or beneficiary applying for a grant must be able to fulfil all the normal grant conditions. Often people with MND want to continue to work during the early stages of the disease, which can make them ineligible for a DFG through means testing. This funding is primarily for the provision of home adaptations to help people to live independently, so it is important for any local Housing Assistance Policy to clearly set out what additional adaptations assistance is to be provided. Benefits if youre sick, disabled or a carer. This applies whether the local authority is providing the assistance directly or through third parties. Who has to give permission for the relevant works to go ahead. they do not have an assessed contribution. B84. 3.25 Authorities should particularly consider whether it would be right to demand repayment in cases where: 3.26 Authorities are encouraged not to place local land charges where the application is being made for a child in a long-term foster placement. 4.29 The response to referrals or enquiries should identify a single point of contact, who the client can contact for information about their case. 5.16 An applicant can be passported through the means test if they are already in receipt of means tested welfare benefits. Further information on legislation around the relevant works and what is necessary and appropriate can be found at Appendix B, paragraph B61. See further details on the Health and Care Bill: Integrated Care Boards and local health and care systems. The list above provides an indication of the different types of housing available, but is not definitive. For example, it shouldn't offer you a loan if you can't afford to repay it, or if it offers you a grant but expects you to pay money towards it, it must take into account your ability to do so, get your consent before carrying out any works on your home, if you're a home-owner, get the consent of everyone who is likely to be affected, if it decides to change work it has agreed to help with. Local housing authorities should: 5.24 In order to ensure good value for money, the most appropriate tendering procedures need to be considered. 5.18 All requests for financial information, and communication of the outcome, should be treated sensitively and with the highest level of confidentiality. B30. What home modifications are covered by this program? Internal decoration of an existing property, Decoration only maintains the asset; it does not increase the life of the building. Anyone under 18 years of age. These make it safer and easier to move around and do everyday tasks. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. The housing authority can also specify how the works should be carried out (section 37) and will only make a payment if theyre satisfied with the works and receive an acceptable invoice. Discussions with disabled people and disabled peoples groups can also provide insights into the types of impairments and number of people likely to require accessible homes in the future. 5.27 Some items installed as part of an adaptation, such as stair and through-floor lifts and ceiling hoists, will need regular servicing and repair. The Turn2us website has a free Search for Grants tool that lets you look for grants based on your circumstances and needs. Alongside this, revenue costs can be shared between health, social care and housing. 5.13 Only certain people are able to make a valid application and in many cases this will not be the disabled person themself. B14. As a result, you can buy an initial share of a home worth between 10% and 75% of its market value. Local planning authorities can encourage the development of more affordable models and make use of products like shared ownership. Make sure youre getting the benefits youre entitled to. These grants will only be approved in exceptional circumstances. You can change your cookie settings at any time. This means, for example, that DFG services must be accessible to those with a visual or mobility disability. For example, you could look for grants for people on a low income or for people who live in your area. However local housing authorities with a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) should self-fund home adaptations for council tenants through this account. B102. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. There is no restriction on successive applications for DFG on the same property. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Or where the disabled occupant shares a bedroom with another person, they cannot access a room of sufficient size so that the normal sleeping arrangements can be maintained. More detail on adopting this approach can be found in the Adaptations without Delay framework published by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. The government intends to commence the remainder of section 36 of the Equality Act 2010 in England and Wales which will require landlords to make reasonable adjustments to the common parts of leasehold and commonhold homes, including hallways, entrances and stairs. Projections of population and households by age group can also be used. Help other disabled people by sharing! B61. Family Fund offers grants to families of disabled or seriously ill young people under 17. The extent and cost of the works are usually relatively small (often less than 1,000) and involve a streamlined application process. Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) delivery: Guidance for local The cost of an extended guarantee or service contract to be paid upfront on commissioning can be included in the calculation of grant payable. Such grants can be designed to improve access to assistive technology in the home for all local disabled people, or specifically aimed at enhancing the health, wellbeing and independence of particular groups such as disabled children and young adults, people with dementia or autistic people. 6.1 Contractors are a crucial part of the home adaptations process. The grant can either be paid in instalments as the work progresses or in full on completion (section 35). - how to design adaptations that will meet current and anticipated future needs; and The owners application must be accompanied by an owners certificate in respect of the dwelling to which the application relates, or in the case of a common parts application, in respect of each flat in the building occupied or proposed to be occupied by a disabled applicant which confirms that they: B19. As HOLD homes are typically purchased on the open market, many will already be over ten years old. Health Commissioners working with housing authorities to target DFG support to ensure resources reach the most vulnerable residents in a community through sharing health data and analysis. Relevant works could include the relocation of power points to make them more accessible, the provision of suitably adapted controls where a disabled person has difficulty in using normal types of controls and the installation of additional controls. they have a mental disorder or impairment of any kind, they are physically substantially disabled by illness, injury or impairment, they are an adult who is or could be registered under, they are a child or young person registered under, Who has to sign the required certificate containing information about the future occupation of the property (certificate of future occupation); and. You may be able to get help with adaptations as part of a care and support package provided by your local social care department. Improving delivery through a local Housing Assistance Policy The conditions in paragraph 3 are local land charges and are binding on any person who is for the time being an owner of the dwelling or building. Financial help if you're disabled: Home and housing - GOV.UK Accessible and adaptable housing enables people to live more independently, while also saving on health and social costs in the future. People of all ages who are ill and/or disabled can apply for a grant. Thank you, your feedback has been submitted. 4.48 Authorities should consider how they support client choice and not seek to deny access to a Home Improvement Agency service for cases where a client seeks to exercise their choice. B95. You can change your cookie settings at any time. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disabled-facilities-grant-dfg-delivery-guidance-for-local-authorities-in-england/disabled-facilities-grant-dfg-delivery-guidance-for-local-authorities-in-england. loans are administered in a manner which is both reasonable and fair. This could affect your benefits, so check how savings affect means-tested benefits. While it is always the district council who must decide an application, if district and county councils collaborate effectively it would be rare for a district to decide not to approve an adaptation recommended by the county. 4.4 The aim of managing a home adaptations service should always be a seamless service for the client whose needs should be the primary focus. Last updated on 8 February 2021. Paragraph: 003 Reference ID: 63-003-20190626. For example, if an application had proposed a bedroom extension as the relevant works, but the authority decides that a stairlift to gain access to a bedroom are the eligible works, the authority could use estimates of the cost of a suitable stairlift from other applications to estimate the cost of the eligible works. In considering whether an existing room could be used for sleeping, the religious and cultural beliefs of the household should be taken into consideration. Means tests are inherently complex and are not always appropriate. Decision making panel meetings that do not include the housing authority are strongly discouraged. The grant condition period starts on the date when the works are completed to the satisfaction of the housing authority (the certified date (section 44)). Charitable grants for ill or disabled people. The health and lifestyles of older people will differ greatly, as will their housing needs, which can range from accessible and adaptable general needs housing to specialist housing with high levels of care and support. 2.37 As with delivery between the housing and social services authorities it is vital that all work together operationally to ensure the best outcome for the tenant. Delivering person centred support in this manner means that individuals are often able to get the best support for their situation. Similarly, disabilities can include, but are not limited to, people with ambulatory difficulties, blindness, learning difficulties, autism and mental health needs, which may generate a range of housing requirements which can change over time. In some cases, these developments are known as retirement communities or villages - the intention is for residents to benefit from varying levels of care as time progresses. If you are an adviser see ourDisability Rights Handbook, See alsoYour rights to accessible and adaptable housing (EHRC guides). This will ensure that the item will continue to operate over a longer period and maintain the independence of the disabled person. 3.17 A policy may target assistance against themes. If you rent your home and apply to your local authority for a disabled facilities grant, you'll need to get your landlord's permission before your local authority will agree to help you. Enhancement of an asset that will extend its useful life. the local housing authority has a statutory duty under the 1996 Act to provide adaptations for those who qualify for a DFG. The duty to consult the social services authority relates solely to the question of necessary and appropriate. 4.13 Whichever team makes the initial assessment, the final decision on awarding grant remains with the local housing authority. There are often extensive communal areas, such as space to socialise or a wellbeing centre. The relevant works could include adaptations to a part of the home to which the disabled person would not normally need access but which is used by a person they are caring for and therefore it is reasonable for such works to be carried out. These are that: 3.41 The RRO is also clear that local authorities must satisfy themselves that recipients have received appropriate advice or information on any obligations arising from the assistance. 7.14 Under the Regulatory Reform Order local housing authorities can offer discretionary funding in any form (e.g. 3.35 The RRO also enables local authorities to offer financial assistance in the form of a loan. The records will also assist with investigations into any problems or defects that occur later. VAT no: 127880492. Therefore, an understanding of how the ageing population affects housing needs is something to be considered from the early stages of plan-making through to decision-taking. 3. However, it might be appropriate that certain adaptations be carried out to enable the disabled person to perform certain functions in the kitchen, such as preparing light meals or hot drinks. Have a disability Meet other NED eligibility requirements based on your income and where you live How to apply for a NED voucher Look up and contact your local public housing agency to learn about your eligibility and to apply for a NED voucher and other housing help. A dwelling is defined as a building or part of a building (e.g. Apply for sheltered housing - GOV.UK The purposes cover a wide range of potential adaptations to cover most circumstances and to meet the adaptation needs of disabled people whose needs are less obvious, such as those with a sight or hearing impairment or a learning disability. A grant is a financial donation that you dont have to repay. Applies to other fees sucha s planning etc. Sense is here for everyone who is deafblind. (See Chapter 3 for how to make this a condition of grant funding). However, there will be occasions when a client would like to consider different or more extensive works to their home. However, authorities should consider: 3.43 Authorities are also subject to requirements of the Equality Act 2010 because they are discharging a public function and providing a service to the public. B11. Public information and self-assessment The application would be made to the housing authority where the foster carers live, although it is likely that the foster childs social services authority would need to fund any works over the maximum grant limit. You, or the disabled person you live with, must: You could also apply if youre a landlord to a disabled tenant. Such circumstances could include types of development which may significantly vary from standard models of development for sale (for example housing for older people). Inclusive design acknowledges diversity and difference and is more likely to be achieved when it is considered at every stage of the development process, from inception to completion. 5.1 Local housing authorities have a duty to consider all formal DFG applications. For example, Housing Revenue Account funded adaptations for council properties may be managed by DFG housing officers or directly by council housing teams. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Learning Disability - Independent Living - Housing | Mencap Your local authority might have a list of local architects, surveyors and builders who specialise in renovation work which you could ask to see when choosing a contractor for the work to your home. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. However, all major adaptation work should be visited by a supervising officer at least once whilst in progress. (a) local housing authority approves an application for a grant under Part 1 of the Act; (b) the grant is for a sum exceeding 5,000; and. Can be considered as capital expenditure if included as part of the whole project costs of the adaptation see services and charges order below. For example, if the applicant paid a 7,000 contribution towards the previous adaptations, and the new means test shows a contribution of 8,000, this will be reduced to a contribution by the applicant on the second DFG of 1,000. Your local authority can help you do one of the following: If you, or someone that you live with, are disabled, you might be able to get a disabled facilities grant for adaptations or providing facilities for the disabled person. liaise with the local planning department (which will normally be within the same authority) to determine matters which will require planning permission and any exceptional circumstances (for example when a property lies within a conservation area); understand permitted development rights for home extensions, develop procedures to assist applicants to obtain planning permission quickly, using their knowledge and experience; and. A consultation is planned for 2022. 7.15 Discretionary funding can be used to: The DFG provides capital funding for the provision of home adaptations. Most adaptation work is zero rated for VAT but where the relevant works are taxable at the standard rate of VAT this should be included within the estimated expense. So for example, where an applicant for DFG has difficulty in meeting their assessed contribution from the DFG means test or the work will cost more than the upper limit, the social care authority can step in to provide financial assistance. This website uses cookies for analytics and efficiency, however, some cookies are essential. This discretion may be used where the housing authority considers the landlord is unreasonably withholding an owners certificate. It helps towards the cost of essential adaptations to your home to enable you to continue to live there. Linking Help with Hope is a charity formerly known as The League of the Helping Hand. Youll also need to check the improvements youre making are covered by SMI.