Disabled Facilities Grants

Disabled Facilities Grants are provided to enable disabled people to adapt their homes to make them suitable for their needs. With the exception of adaptations for disabled children, all applications are subject to an assessment of the financial resources of the disabled person.

Contact Us:

Telephone: (023) 9244 6670

Email: ehenvironment@havant.gov.uk

Visit: Civic Offices, Civic Centre Road, Havant PO9 2AX

What are Disabled Facilities Grants for?

Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) are mandatory grants designed to help people who have disabilities to have the maximum amount of independence in their homes.

The grants are available to owner-occupiers, tenants and landlords up to a value of £30,000. The type of work that can be carried out includes;

Facilitating access to and from the home for example; ramps, shallow steps, hardstandings etc.
Making the home safe for the disabled person and others living in the house e.g. guard rails, safety glass etc.
Facilitating access to the principal family room - e.g. by widening doorways.
Facilitating access to a bedroom - e.g. by providing a stairlift or extension.
Facilitating access to the lavatory - e.g. by altering bathroom layouts or providing specialist WCs.
Facilitating access to a bath or shower -e.g. by replacing a bath with a level access shower.
Facilitating access to a wash-hand basin.
Enabling the disabled occupier to prepare and cook food - e.g. by providing low level kitchen units.
Improving or providing space heating or heating controls.
Enabling the disabled occupier to use and control power, light and heat - e.g. by altering the position of light switches and power sockets.
Enabling the disabled occupier to move around the home to care for another person - e.g. to enable a disabled parent to care for a child.

Where the work will cost more than £30,000 or does not fall within the above categories, the Council has discretion to approve a grant and will consider such cases on their merits.

The Council works closely with Social Services in the provision of these grants and people who wish to apply for a DFG can access the service through either agency. It is the responsibility of the Social Services Department to decide what works are necessary and appropriate to the individuals needs. This decision is based on an assessment by an Occupational Therapist (OT). In some cases the Social Services Department will not be able to carry out the OT assessment, in which case the grant will cover the cost of a private OT assessment.

For more information on how Social Services may be able to help you please follow this link to Hampshire County council's informative web site. Alternatively to contact an Occupational Therapist direct, please telephone: 0845 6004555.

For owner-occupiers and tenants the grant is normally subject to a test of resources but you do not have to be in receipt of a means tested benefit to be able to get a grant. There is no test of resources where the adaptations are for a disabled child. The test of resources looks at your household income and compares it with standard needs based on your family size, ages, any disability etc. Any excess of income over needs is used to calculate the amount you should be able to borrow from a bank and this is the amount that you are expected to contribute towards the cost of any work. If the costs are less than your contribution then you will not receive any grant. If the costs exceed your contribution then you will get a grant equal to the cost of works less your contribution. Even if you do not receive any money in grant there are circumstances when it is worth applying and having a zero grant approved. This is because any further works carried out within the next 10 years will take into account the contribution which you have already made.

Grants to landlords are allocated on the basis of the costs incurred less the increase in capital value of the property (if any) resulting from the works. This means that in practical terms the adaptations will not cost the landlord anything but that he will not make a profit from them either.

If you would like further advice, please contact Customer Services at the Civic Offices or telephone (023) 9244 6016. Alternatively you can email Customer Services.

Disabled Facilities Grant Procedure

Introduction

Under Part 1 of the Housing Grants. Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, disabled facilities grant are provided to assist with the cost of providing adaptations and facilities to enable disabled persons to live at home. Local councils can give two types of grant - Mandatory and Discretionary Grants.

Havant Borough Council are only able to offer Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants.

Mandatory grants are for essential adaptations to facilitate access to and around the home and to access essential facilities within it. Some of the types of work which may be eligible are:

To make it easier to get into and out of the dwelling by, for example, widening doors and installing ramps:
To make access easier to the living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathing and toileting facilities by, for example, widening doors and providing a stairlift:
To adapt the existing bathing facilities to enable easier access by, for example, forming a flush floor shower.

This list is not exhaustive, for further advice contact your local Social Services department or Environmental Health at Havant Borough Council.

Test of Resources (Means Test)

All grants, with the exception of adaptations for disabled children, are subject to a Test of Resources (Means Test) to ensure that grant goes to the most needy households. Certain income related benefits such as Income Support will passport the applicant through the normal Test of Resources system. The applicant's contribution (if any) toward the cost of the eligible works will be determined by a means test which will look at the income and capital of the disabled person and their spouse or partner. The test calculates the disabled persons average weekly income, taking account of any capital above £6000.00 (Disabled Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance are not counted as income and certain other sources of income may be partially disregarded).This is set against an assessment of basic needs, which are recognised by a range of premiums and allowances.

If the disabled person's resources are less than this assessment, then they will not normally need to contribute to the cost of the work.

If the disabled persons resources are more than the assessment, then a proportion of their income will be used to calculate the size of the loan they can afford to finance the works. This "affordable" loan is then deducted from the cost of the eligible work and grant will be given to cover the remaining cost, up to a maximum grant of £30,000.

Conditions of Grant

Grants are subject to certain conditions:

In the case of grants in excess of £5000 being paid to owner occupiers, if the property is disposed of within 10 years of the date of completion of the works, then the Council may demand the repayment of such part of the grant that exceeds £5000 (but may not demand an amount in excess of £10,000). This condition is a local land charge and is binding on any person who is for the time being an owner of the property.
It is a condition of grant that the eligible works are carried out by one of the contractors whose estimates accompanied the application. However, when a grant is approved it is based on the lower of two estimates submitted with the application. If the applicant chooses to employ the other contractor, the applicant will have to pay for the extra cost involved.
The eligible works must be carried out to the satisfaction of the Council.
The Council must be provided with an acceptable invoice, demand or receipt for payment for the works and any preliminary or ancillary services or charges in respect of which the grant or part of the grant is to be paid.

Applying for a grant

Initially, all applicants are advised to contact Hampshire County Council Social Services Occupational Therapy Service, at Social Services Direct, Occupational Therapy, Glen House, Glen Road, Swanwick, S031 7HD. Tel:- 0845 6004555 (local rate). Arrangements are then made for a medical assessment to take place. If Social Services feel a Disabled Facilities Grant is an option they will contact Environmental Health at Havant Borough Council to arrange a visit by a Grant Officer. The initial visit is arranged as soon as possible, usually within 6 weeks of the Occupational Therapist(O.T.)'s contact with Environmental Health. In the meantime the Grants Officer will send you a provisional means test form for you to complete and return to our office.

Initial Visit

At the initial visit the Grants Officer will carry out a survey and decide if the works are considered practicable and reasonable. This will then be discussed with the applicant. If the applicant wishes to proceed, the Grants Officer will prepare a schedule of works and send this to the client (normally within 6 weeks) together with all the relevant application forms and instructions to apply for the grant. A copy of the schedule of works is also sent to the O.T. to confirm that the proposed works will meet the applicant's needs.

Application Forms

Environmental Health staff will help the applicant complete the grant application forms if requested. The application process will vary depending upon the applicants position; for example, if the applicant is a tenant of a Social Landlord e.g. Portsmouth City Council or Guinness Hermitage Housing Association, their landlord may restrict which builders can carry out works in their properties. Environmental Health will advise the applicant on how to apply in their particular circumstances. An application does not become valid until Environmental Health are in receipt of fully completed application forms, estimates and other relevant items.

Starting Work

NO WORK FOR WHICH GRANT IS BEING SOUGHT MAY BE COMMENCED UNTIL THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED IN WRITING THAT THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN APPROVED.

Engaging an Agent

The applicant can employ an agent to help with the grant application, obtaining estimates and supervising the works; reasonable costs for acting as agent will be eligible for grant assistance if a grant is approved.

Standard of Work

Grants are based on the cost of adapting the property in the most economic way in accordance with the requirements of the Scheme. Applicants wishing to carry out works more extensive or to a higher standard than those allowed for may do so but the grant will be based on the notional cost of the basic scheme.

Building Regulation and Planning Approvals

Approval of the grant does not constitute or imply approval under the Building Regulations or Town and Country Planning Acts, which may need to be applied for separately. It may be that the work proposed does not warrant formal application but the applicant should check beforehand. Enquiries and applications regarding Building Regulation Approval and Planning Consent should be made to the Head of Development Services, Havant Borough Council, Civic Centre, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hants PO9 2AX Telephone (023) 9247 4174.

Engaging a contractor

The applicant is responsible for choosing builders to quote for the required works. Environmental Health can supply a list of contractors but there is no obligation on the part of grant applicants to restrict themselves to those listed. The contractors listed have all carried out grant work previously and those applicants who employed them were happy with their work. However, the Council cannot "recommend" any particular contractor and cannot be deemed to be liable for any failing on the part of any of the contractors listed.

The applicant should check that the builder has third party liability insurance and check with their own insurance company as to their own cover and liabilities.

The applicant must use one of the contractors who supply the estimates which form part of the application. The grant paid will be based upon the lowest estimate submitted. If the applicant uses the builder submitting the higher estimate, the applicant will be responsible for paying the price difference.

Approval

From receipt of a valid application and all necessary information H.B.C. will give a decision in writing as quickly as possible and in all cases within 6 months.

Supervision of the works

THE APPLICANT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPERVISION OF THE WORK, although visits may be made from time-to-time by officers of the Council. If one has been engaged by the applicant, an agent can oversee the works.

Payment of the Grant

Interim grant payments can be arranged as the works progress where appropriate. Grant monies cannot be paid before works commence and at no stage will grant be paid to a sum higher than the assessed value of the works completed, or 90% of the approved grant, whichever is the lower. To request an interim payment, the applicant will be required to sign an Application for Payment of Grant Form, confirming that the works up to that point have been completed to his/her satisfaction.

Upon completion of the works the applicant will be required to sign an Application for Payment of Grant Form, confirming that the works have been completed to his/her satisfaction.

Grant will only be paid when the Council is satisfied that the work has been completed to their satisfaction and in accordance with the grant approval. Grant can only be paid on provision of an acceptable invoice or receipt. Applicants usually prefer the Council to pay grant directly to the contractor.

In case of difficulty

The above guidance outlines the main provisions of the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme. Applicants experiencing any difficulties or in any doubt at any time should contact the officer dealing with their application.

Useful Contacts

Environmental Health

Havant Borough Council

Civic Offices

Civic Centre Road

HAVANT PO9 2AX

Tel. (023) 9244 6670

In Touch

47-57 High Street

Westend

Southampton

SO30 3DQ

Tel (023) 8046 2444

Hampshire County Council

Social Services Direct

Occupational Therapy

Glen House

Glen Road

Swanwick

SOUTHAMPTON SO31 7HD

Tel. 0845 6004555

Age Concern

The Centre

Fraser Road

HAVANT

Tel. (023) 9248 4098

Havant Borough Council, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2AX