Disabled facilities grants
If you have:
- a permanent and substantial disability
- difficulty managing everyday tasks
you could get help with the cost of adapting your home. This could help you to use your home better and be more independent. A grant could also help carers manage more easily.
The process
You need to be referred by Social Services to qualify for a grant. To do this, you need an assessment by an Occupational Therapist.
Owners, tenants and other occupiers can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant. You can also apply for a grant for a disabled person who lives with you or a disabled child.
If you are an adult or are applying on behalf of an adult, you need to contact Lancashire County Council Adult Social Care and ask for an Occupational Therapist home assessment. Once a visit has taken place, an Occupational Therapist will send a referral to us containing recommendations for adaptations which are based on an assessment of your medical or physical needs.
If you are applying on behalf of a disabled child (aged 19 or below) you need to contact Lancashire County Council Inclusion Service and ask for an Occupational Therapist home assessment.
Once we receive the referral, we register the case and notify the applicant that we have received it. We will then check eligibility for a Disabled Facilities Grant. If you are eligible for a grant you will receive a visit from us to assess the feasibility of the recommended work.
What can I get help for?
Things which will give you the freedom to move into and around your home such as:
- ramps
- step lifts for wheelchairs
- stair lifts
- lifts from one floor to another
- level and low access showers
- ground floor bedrooms
- ground floor bathrooms
- widening internal doorways
- hoisting equipment
Do I have to pay?
If the grant is for anyone under the age of 18, you don't have to pay.
If you receive any of these benefits, you probably won't have to pay:
- Income Support
- Universal Credit
- Income based employment and support allowance, not contribution based (your benefit award letter will tell you which type you are receiving)
- Guarantee Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Working Tax Credit and/or Child Tax Credit as long as the income your entitlement is assessed on is less than £15,860
Anyone over 18 will be means tested, to see if they should make a contribution.
Conditions
- We won't refund any money for work that started before the grant was approved in writing.
- We will only pay for certain products up to an agreed price. If you want a more expensive product, or you want some extra work doing, you will have to pay for it yourself.
- The maximum grant you could get would be £30,000
- There may be additional funding for works costing over £30,000 up to a maximum of £10,000
- If you rent your home, you will have to have your landlord's permission for the grant to go ahead
Property charges
If you get a grant of more than £5,000, and the work involves an extension or garage conversion, then a Local Land Charge is registered. This charge lasts for 10 years. It means that if you sell your home within 10 years of the work being completed, you will have to pay back some of the grant. The most you would have to pay back would be £10,000. This only applies to owner occupied properties.
Who organises the work?
We can provide an agency service to manage the grant until it is complete. This includes:
- drawing up full plans and specifications
- getting all the right permissions and certification
- appointing approved contractors
- supervising the work
Alternatively, you can arrange for your own contractor to carry out the work. If you do, you are responsible for all aspects of arranging and carrying out the work. If you do want to do this, don't underestimate how complex it is to manage a project like this. It is also time consuming submitting quotes with supporting documentation (things like architects plans, schedules, specifications, costings, planning and building regulations and permissions). These all need approving by us. We will decide the amount of the grant only if the documentation is correct.
You must not start any of the work until we have approved the grant.
Once the grant has been approved, you have 12 months to complete the work. You are responsible for making sure it is completed on time, and as per the approved quote.
We will visit you once the work is finished to check that it is satisfactory before we make any final payments.
What if I don't want the scheme you are offering?
It might be possible to use the grant towards a more expensive option. You need to discuss this with us and the Occupational Therapist dealing with your case. There are certain conditions to doing it this way.
What if my house cannot be adapted in a suitable way?
The Occupation Therapist will talk to you about your options if your home can't be adapted. If you want to buy a new home, then the Occupational Therapist will look at it to see if it's suitable, or can be adapted.