Disabled Facilities Grant
If you or a member of your household are disabled and require adaptations to be made to your property because of this, then you may be eligible for a disabled facilities grant.
As far as is reasonably practicable, we ensure that all those entitled to a mandatory disabled facilities grant have the opportunity to apply for and receive this grant.
The disabled person and any partner will normally be means tested to determine how much, if anything, they must contribute to the cost of the agreed works. If the disabled person is a child, the means test is suspended. If the disabled person is a private sector tenant, both the tenant and any partner will be means tested. There is no fixed upper income or upper savings limit. Under certain circumstances applicants can be passported to a non-contributory grant.
To be considered for a disabled facilities grant you will need to have an assessment carried out by an occupational therapist, or your doctor can refer you or you can self-refer, by calling the following numbers:
- Occupational Therapists (adult) 0300 041 6161
- Occupational Therapists (children) 0300 041 1111
Alternatively you can send your details to the following email address: Ashford&CanterburyARMS@kent.gov.uk.
Further information
The grant applicant will normally be an owner-occupier, a private sector tenant, a private sector landlord, or a housing association tenant, although applications from prospective occupiers can be considered.
In all cases the works must be necessary and appropriate to the needs of the disabled person and must be reasonable and practicable having regard to the age and condition of the property.
The authority works in partnership with Kent County Council Social Services and in any case must receive a recommendation from an occupational therapist from either Adult Services or Children, Families and Education, which details the disabled adaptations required.
'Disabled person' is defined in the governing legislation.
The authority would normally expect housing associations to undertake adaptations from within their own resources, however, under exceptional circumstances, Housing Association tenants’ applications will be considered.
The maximum grant in any case is £30,000.
The works for which grant aid will normally be awarded are:
- To make it easier for someone to get in and out of their home
- To make the property safe
- To make it easier for someone to get into the main family room
- To make it easier for someone to get into a bedroom
- To make it easier for someone to get into an existing toilet or to provide an accessible toilet
- To make it easier to access a bath/shower room or to provide an accessible bath/shower room
- To make it easier to get to a wash hand basin or to provide an accessible wash hand basin
- To help in the preparation and cooking of food
- To improve or provide a suitable heating system
- To provide new, or adapt old, controls that help someone to use of power, light or heat
- To enable the care of another person normally present in the property, and in need of care
- To make it easier for someone to get into their garden
- The governing legislation is the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 as amended by the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 and the Housing Act 2004
The order extended the availability of grant to those living in mobile/park homes and to those living in house-boats.
The disabled facilities grant legislation is complex and the above is a brief synopsis of the main provisions. Anyone who has mobility problems or is experiencing difficulty accessing their home, or the facilities within it, is advised to enquire further as other assistance may be available if a disabled facilities grant is inappropriate.
For further information contact the private sector housing team.
