East Staffordshire Borough Council

Disabled Facilities Grant

East Staffordshire Borough Council's grant towards adapting the home of a disabled person so they can keep living there, of up to £30,000. It is means tested on the disabled person's income (not for disabled children under 19), and the work must be judged necessary and appropriate by an occupational therapist and reasonable and practicable by the council. The council can organise and supervise the work itself, and its policy also offers discretionary top-up, relocation and other grants for eligible applicants.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: Up to £30,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Moderate; full application with documents

Who can apply

Owner-occupiers, private tenants, council tenants and housing association tenants in East Staffordshire where someone living in the property has a disability and the home needs adapting so they can continue living there (the policy also covers owners of qualifying houseboats and park homes, and private landlords applying for a disabled tenant)
The works must be judged necessary and appropriate by an occupational therapist and reasonable and practicable by the council
The grant is means tested on the income of the disabled person (and partner); income is not counted for disabled children under 19, and people on passported benefits such as Universal Credit or Housing Benefit pass the means test
The home must be the disabled person's main residence

What it funds

Adaptations needed for a disabled person to continue living in their home, such as:

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
Helping you to get to the main parts of your home and garden
Improving or providing a heating system, or moving controls for power, light or heat
Facilitating the preparation and cooking of food

the council's policy also allows discretionary grants (top-up where costs exceed £30,000, relocation and others), set out in its Disabled Facilities Grants and Adaptations Policy

What it will not fund

Work started before the council has approved the application
Additional rooms because of overcrowding
Extensions where the existing layout (including outbuildings and garages) can be adapted
Repairs and remedial works, which are normally the owner's responsibility
The extra cost of a larger scheme or more expensive builder than the council considers most cost-effective
Adapting homes where it is not reasonable and practicable, e.g. poor condition or prohibitive cost

How to apply

Contact Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010 (adults) or 0800 13 13 126 (children) with details of the disabled person
An occupational therapist visits to assess needs and/or refers your details to the council
The council carries out a financial assessment of income and savings (except for disabled children under 19)
The council obtains permissions, prepares drawings, gets prices and decides how much grant you are entitled to
The work is done and the grant is paid in instalments or on completion

do not start work until the council has approved your application

you can appoint your own architect and contractor, but the grant is based on reasonable costs and you must arrange permissions and insurance

a local land charge is registered for 10 years on owners' homes for grant over £5,000 (up to £10,000), repayable if the property is disposed of in that time

Have ready

Owner's or landlord's certificate giving permission for the adaptation
Two itemised quotes (with VAT per item) if you use your own contractor

an occupational therapist assessment and a financial assessment are part of the application

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