Disabled Facilities Grants

If you are experiencing difficulty in living at home because of a disability, Fareham Council may be able to help you to carry out essential adaptations in order to remain living more independently. This work can be funded by a Disabled Facilities Grant. You can apply for the grant if you own your own home, rent or live with the family.

What is a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)?

Fareham Council provides Disabled Facilities Grants, up to the sum of £30,000 per applicant to enable householders in private sector housing to carry out essential adaptations to their homes allowing a disabled person to live more independently. This is a mandatory grant for works that have been recommended as necessary and appropriate by an Occupational Therapist (OT) (this is an external hyperlink).Typical projects include installing stairlifts, providing a level access shower in place of a bath and ensuring homes are wheelchair accessible. Work can include an extension to your property where there are no alternative means of providing access to essential facilities

Who can apply?

Homeowners, housing association tenants, private tenants and landlords can apply in respect of an occupant who is registered disabled or eligible to register as disabled.

An assessment will be made that the works are practical for the property involved and will provide the most effective long-term solution taking into account the circumstances of the disabled person and other members of the household.

In exceptional cases where the existing home is not suitable for adaptation and, with the applicant’s agreement the Council may decide that the best option is to help them to move to more suitable accommodation.

Please note, if you are a council tenant and would like to apply for housing adaptations to meet your specific needs, please contact the Building Services Section within the Housing Department on tel: 01329 236100 for further information or e-mail customerservices.fareham.gov.uk

How do I apply for a grant?

In the first instance you will need to contact Occupational Therapy Direct either:

by telephone on 0845 600 4555 (Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm and Fridays 8.30am to 4.30pm); or
by emailing to OTdirect@hants.gov.uk

They will arrange for an Occupational Therapist (OT) to visit you and assess your needs.

How much grant will I receive?

The amount you will receive is usually based on a financial assessment (a “means test”) in accordance with legislation laid down by central government. Average weekly income, including a tariff for any savings and capital above £6,000, is set against personal and housing allowances to determine any disposable income. If there is a disposable income a contribution will be required.

Where it is determined that the applicant is required to make a contribution, you will be advised of the amount of contribution before you decide to proceed.

However no one should be discouraged from applying, as people with significant savings can often be eligible for a grant towards the work.

Grants for the benefit of a disabled child or qualifying young person (aged 18 years or less) are not subject to a means test. In addition, people in receipt of:

Income Support,
Income Related Job-Seekers Allowance,
Guaranteed Pension Credit,
Council Tax Benefit, or

Housing Benefit

are eligible for the full cost of the work up to £30,000.

Applicants receiving Working Tax Credit and Child Credit who have an income less than £15,460 are also exempt from the financial assessment and are not required to make any contribution towards the grant within the prescribed limit.

Where it is determined that the applicant is required to make a contribution, this will be fully explained to you before you decide to proceed.

What if I can't afford my contribution?

Other sources of funding may also be available from charitable organisations. The Home Improvement Agency (see below) may be to help you to access these funds.

In certain instances the Council may be able to provide a top-up Accessible Home Loan to assist the applicant in meeting the client’s contribution required for a DFG.

Will it affect other benefits?

A Disabled Facilities Grant will not affect any benefits you are currently receiving.

What kinds of work can I get a grant for?

In considering the recommendations of the Occupational Therapist, the Council must establish that the proposed works are necessary and appropriate for the disabled occupant and reasonable and practicable in respect of adapting the property.

Disabled Facilities Grants will be considered for a range of categories of work:

facilitating or improving access to a dwelling and to the garden;
providing appropriate access within a dwelling to the principal family room, bedroom, a lavatory, bathroom / shower room and kitchen;
where access to a bedroom or bathroom can not be provided the construction (or purchase of a portable extension) to form an accessible bedroom and or shower-room for the disabled occupant may be considered.
making a dwelling safe (this may include adaptations to minimize the risk of danger where a person has behavioural problems which cause them to act in a manner that could result in damage to the building, themselves or other people);
providing an enhanced alarm system for those with hearing difficulties. (This may be required to provide improved safety for the disabled occupant in connection with cooking facilities or works to provide means of escape from fire);
providing or improving an existing heating system where the wellbeing and mobility of the disabled person would otherwise be adversely affected;
enabling a disabled person to have full use of heating, lighting and power controls. (including the relocation of power points to make them more accessible, provision of adapted controls and the installation of additional controls);
providing assistance to access the common parts of buildings containing flats where the disabled person is an occupant .
funding to assist a disabled person to move home (where this is a more appropriate solution to adapting the existing home).

Can I obtain help to guide me through the process?

Many applicants find the prospect of arranging the DFG works as extremely daunting and therefore choose to use the services of the local home improvement agency to act on their behalf throughout the process.

The home improvement agency, “Hyde In Touch” (this is an external hyperlink) is a not-for-profit organisation and a specialist subsidiary of The Hyde Group. The fees incurred in employing "In-touch" to act on your behalf will be added to the overall grant.

Agency staff will guide clients through the entire decision making process, help to organise finance, arrange and oversee the building work and other technical matters. The agency ensures that clients are kept fully informed and consulted on the work being carried out on their behalf. At the appropriate time in the process you will be advised about the home improvement agency and will be asked to consider whether you wish to use their services or arrange the works yourself.

A summary of Grant Conditions for Owners (97Kb) This is the pdf icon