What are Disabled Facilities Grants?

If you or someone living in your property has a disability and your home needs adapting to enable you to continue living there you may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant from the Council towards the cost of providing the adaptations and facilities.

The proposed works must be necessary and appropriate to meet the needs of the person with a disability, based on an assessment by an Occupational Therapist, and also be reasonable and practicable.

Work could include; changing your bathroom and toilet facilities; helping you to get into and out of your home, making it easier to get up and down stairs, and helping you to get to the main parts of your home and garden.

The amount of grant payable depends on the cost of the work and the average weekly income of the person with the disability. Income is not taken into account for children with a disability who are under 19. The maximum grant is £30,000. A Disabled Facilities Grant will not affect any benefits you are currently receiving.

Is a Disabled Facilities Grant right for you?

Before approving a grant the Borough Council require an Occupational Therapist’s (OT) assessment to ensure that the proposed work is necessary and appropriate to meet the needs of the person with a disability.

• You can ask Staffordshire County Council for a free Occupational Therapist assessment before applying for a grant by calling 01283 239888 (Adults) or 0800 1313126 (Children). However you may have to wait some time.
• You can apply for a grant (see below) before having an assessment. The Borough Council will then ask Staffordshire County Council for an assessment. However if the assessment is not carried out within six months, which is quite possible, the Borough Council will not be able to approve a grant. There is also a risk that the proposed work may be assessed as unnecessary or inappropriate.
• You can decide to pay a suitably experienced private Occupational Therapist for an assessment before applying for grant. The cost of the assessment can be taken into account when calculating your grant but you will have to fund the cost yourself to start with and it may not be reimbursed. The College of Occupational Therapists can help you find a private Occupational Therapist or telephone them on 0800 389 4873. The Borough Council will still consult Staffordshire County Council about the assessment.

A grant is not the solution for everyone’s needs.

• The Ask Sara website can help you find solutions to your needs.
• Staffordshire County Council may be able to provide equipment and arrange minor adaptations if this is what you need (telephone numbers above).
• You may be able to afford to pay for adaptations yourself. In this case the Orbit Care & Repair agency can help you by drawing plans, finding a reputable builder and applying for planning and building control approval. You can contact Orbit Care & Repair on (01283) 497414.
• Alternatively, moving home to somewhere more suitable could be considered. Orbit Care & Repair can provide advice about this option.

How to apply

To apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant you need to complete and submit the application form to the Borough Council with full details of the proposed work and two estimates (unless the work is of a particularly specialist nature).

You can do this on your own or ask an agency to help you fill in the forms, draw plans, find a reputable builder and apply for planning and building control approval.

Most people in East Staffordshire use the Orbit Care and Repair Agency who can help you once you have already had an Occupational Therapist assessment. There is usually no charge for using the agency because the cost is included in the grant. For more information about Orbit please see the Orbit Care & Repair's website or telephone (01283) 497414.

If you want to apply on your own, please call us on (01283) 508680 or email housing@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk and ask for an application form and information pack which we will send to you.

What happens next?

Once the Council receives the relevant paperwork, including all necessary consents and approvals, we will make our decision on how much grant you are entitled to. This will be based on what we consider to be the most cost-effective scheme to provide the necessary facilities. If you want a larger scheme or a more expensive builder, you will have to pay all the additional cost. We will reach our decision within 6 months.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION  - Land Charges on Disabled Facilities Grants 

The Council will register a local land charge on properties in relation to applications for a Disabled Facility Grant in accordance with section 3 of The Housing, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996: Disabled Facilities Grant (conditions relating to approval or Payment of Grant) General Consent 2008.

• The charge will only apply to any home owner receiving a disabled facilities grant of more than £5,000.
• The charge will be the amount of grant you receive over £5,000 up to a maximum charge of £10,000.
• The charge will be registered for 10 years.
• Subject to particular exceptions the charge would have to be repaid if the property is disposed of within the 10 year period.
• If your grant is less than £5,000 this change does not affect you.

Questions and Answers

Why has the council made this change?
The number of people with a disability that need their homes adapted is increasing.
The council has limited funds and has made this change to help ensure it can continue to meet the need for adaptations in the future.
Does this mean that I will have to pay the grant back?
If you are applying as the owner of a property a charge will be placed on the property for any amount over £5,000 up to a maximum of £10,000.
If a charge is placed on the property it will have to be repaid if that property is disposed of within 10 years.
How much will the charge be?
If the grant is less than £5,000 there will be no charge registered against the property.
If the grant is between £5,000 and £15,000 the charge will be the amount you receive over £5,000 (For example, if the grant was £8,000 the charge will be £3,000).
If the grant is more than £15,000 there will be a charge of £10,000 registered against the property.
Are there any exceptions?
If a charge is placed on the property it will have to be repaid if that property is disposed of within 10 years, subject to some exceptions set out below:
The council will not recover the charge if it can be proved that:
a) the recipient of the grant would suffer excessive financial hardship were he/she to be required to repay all or any of the grant; 
b) the disposal of the premises was to enable the recipient of the grant to take up employment, or to change the location of his/her employment;
c) the disposal was made for reasons connected with the physical or mental health or well being of the recipient of the grant or of a disabled occupant of the premises;
d) the disposal was made to enable the recipient of the grant to live with, or near, any person who is disabled or infirm and in need of care, which the recipient of the grant is intending to provide, or who is intending to provide care of which the recipient of the grant is in need by reason of disability or infirmity.
The Council must be satisfied that it is reasonable in all the circumstances to require the repayment.

If you require any further information please contact:
Housing Standards Team
Tel: 01283 508680
Email: housing@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk