Disabled facilities Grant

Disabled facilities grants.

A disabled facilities grant is designed to help meet the cost of adapting a property for the needs of a disabled person.

Who is eligible for a grant?
To be eligible for a disabled facilities grant, you must be:
· an owner-occupier; or
· a private tenant; or
· a landlord with a disabled tenant; or
· a local authority tenant; or
· a housing association tenant.

You are treated as disabled if:
· your sight, hearing or speech is substantially impaired; or
· you have a mental disorder or impairment of any kind; or
· you are physically substantially disabled by illness, injury, impairment present since birth, or otherwise; or
· you are registered or registerable disabled with the social services department.

What can you get a grant for?
There are two types of disabled facilities grants - mandatory and discretionary.
A mandatory grant can be awarded for the following purposes:
· facilitating a disabled occupant's access to and from the dwelling;
· making the dwelling safe for the disabled occupant and others residing with him or her;
· facilitating a disabled occupant's access to a room used or usable as the principal family room;
· facilitating a disabled occupant's access to or providing a room used or usable for sleeping in;
· facilitating a disabled occupant's access to or providing a room in which there is a lavatory, bath or shower, and wash basin or facilitating the use of any of these;
· facilitating the preparation and cooking of food by the disabled occupant;
· improving the heating system to meet the disabled occupant's needs, or providing a suitable heating system;
· facilitating a disabled occupant's use of a source of power, light or heat;
· facilitating access and movement around the home to enable the disabled occupant to care for someone dependent on them, who also lives there.

Discretionary disabled facilities grants can be awarded for adaptations that will make the property more suitable for the accommodation, welfare or employment of the disabled occupant.

The test of financial resources.
The test of resources for disabled facilities grants for owner-occupiers and tenants is similar to that for renovation grants above. However, the only person subject to the test of resources for a disabled facilities grant is the person with disabilities and their partner if they have one. This is the case even if the disabled person is not the applicant for the grant. For example, if a disabled person lives with his brother who has sole ownership of the property. The brother can apply for a disabled facilities grant to carry out adaptations to his property for the benefit of his brother who has a disability. The test of resources only applies to the brother who has a disability, it will not apply to the brother who made the application. If the disabled person is a child or young person the test of resources is applied to the parent(s) or person who has the primary responsibility for their care, and the housing allowance is increased to £65.

Subsequent grants.
A contribution to a previous grant can be offset against a contribution to a subsequent grant as for renovation grants above.

Applying for a disabled facilities grant.
Disabled facilities grants are administered by the local housing authority rather than the social services department where these are different local authorities. An application form should be available from the local housing authority. An application must be supported by a certificate stating that the disabled occupant will live in the property for at least five years after the works are completed, or a shorter period if there are health or other special reasons.
Approval of a disabled facilities grant - The maximum grant payable under a mandatory disabled facilities grant is £25,000 in England and £24,000 in Wales. Local authorities have the discretion to pay additional discretionary grant for mandatory items if the cost exceeds the maximum. There is no maximum discretionary grant.

In order to approve an application for a disabled facilities grant the local housing authority must be satisfied that the works are both necessary and appropriate for the needs of the disabled person and reasonable and practicable in relation to the property. In determining whether the works are necessary and appropriate the local housing authority must consult with the social services department. This is why some local authorities will direct people to the social services department first for an occupational therapy assessment. However it is important to make a formal application for a grant because the six month time limit for the local authority to make a decision only begins from the date of the formal application. They cannot refuse to allow you to make a formal application or refuse to give you an application form.

If you do not get a decision within 6 months of applying, write and ask them why and for a decision to be made. Seek legal advice if you still do not get a decision, or if you have been prevented from applying in the first place. Alternatively, you can make a complaint of mal-administration to the Local Government Ombudsman.

If the application is approved they must specify how much grant is awarded and how it was calculated. If the application is turned down the local authority must specify the reasons why. If approved, the adaptations should usually be completed within one year by one of the contractors who supplied an estimate for the application. The local housing authority has a discretion to approve a grant but to stipulate that it won't be paid for up to 12 months from the date of application. Government guidance says this discretion should only be used sparingly, but it could delay when the works can be done.

For example, if an application was made on 1 September 1999 and the approval was issued at the end of the statutory time limit on 1 March 2000, the local authority could stipulate that payment will be made in August 2000, within 12 months of the date of application.

If, after the application for a disabled facilities grant has been approved, the disabled person's circumstances change in some way before the works are completed, the local housing authority has a discretion as to whether to proceed with paying for all, part or none of the works. The local housing authority must take into account all the circumstances of the situation before deciding how to proceed in such a situation.