Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG's)

•  If you or someone living in your property are disabled
• If you or the person you’re applying for owns the property (including mobile homes) and intend to live there during the “grant period” (five years)
• If you are a tenant of a registered social landlord or private landlord but you must intend to live there during the "grant period" (five years) and your landlord intend to let the residence throughout the period.
• the recommended adaptation must be "necessary and appropriate" to meet your needs
• the recommended adaptation must be "reasonable and practicable" for your home environment
• If you have been assessed by an Occupational Therapist at Hertfordshire County Council.
• OT recommended major works to enable significant changes to a property, typically costing over £1000.

• If you or someone living in your property is disabled
• If you or the person you’re applying for, owns the property (including mobile homes) and intend to live there during the “grant period” (five years)
• If you are a tenant of a registered social landlord or private landlord, but you must intend to live there during the "grant period" (five years) and your landlord intends to let the residence throughout the period
• The recommended adaptation must be "necessary and appropriate" to meet your needs
• The recommended adaptation must be "reasonable and practicable" for your home environment
• If you have been assessed by an Occupational Therapist (OT) from Hertfordshire County Council.
• OT recommended major works to enable significant changes to a property, typically costing over £1000.

• Facilitating access to and from your home, e.g. ramps and step lifts
• Facilitating access and movement in your home, e.g. hoists and stair lifts
• Facilitating access to bathroom and toilet facilities e.g. level access shower /wet room and automatic wash and dry toilets.

If you wish to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant, the contact numbers for Hertfordshire County Council to arrange for an initial occupational therapist assessment are:

• 0300 123 4042 for adults
• 01438 737782 for children
• Email: seeandsolve.west@hertfordshire.gov.uk or seeandsolve.east@hertfordshire.gov.uk

The Occupational Therapist assigns a priority to every DFG referral.

• High Priority is for individuals at serious and imminent risk to health and safety, or those with a rapidly deteriorating progressive illness that becomes unmanageable without the identified adaptations
• Standard Priority is for individuals who do not meet High Priority criteria but are still considered at risk and need the recommended adaptation.

Referrals are processed by priority and the date of request.

In case of tenant applications, landlord’s permission to adapt the property is sought by the Occupational Therapist prior to the referral being made.

If you feel that your needs have changed and should be re assessed, you would need to re-contact the Occupational Therapists at Hertfordshire County Council so that they can make a fresh assessment and make an appropriate referral

The grant is means-tested for adults (aged 19 and over) using a 'Test of Resources'. This takes into account the income and savings of the disabled person (and their partner). 

There is no means test for a DFG where the application is for a child/young person under the age of 19, for whom child benefit is payable.  If you are the parent or guardian of a disabled child, your income and savings are not considered when applying for a mandatory DFG.

If the 'relevant person' (the person who needs the adaption) is in receipt of any of the following then they would be 'passported' through the means test and full grant funding up to the maximum £30,000 would be available without having to pay a contribution

• Universal Credit
• Income support
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• Guaranteed Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income based Employment Support Allowance
• Working Tax Credit with an income (for tax credit purposes) lower than £15,050.
• Children's Tax Credit with an income (for tax credit purposes) lower than £15,050.

It is worth asking for an assessment even if you have been refused other benefits as you may be eligible. There is no means test if the adaptations are for children under 18 years old.

If a person, or their partner are not in receipt of any passport benefits above, we are required to perform a means test. In order to do this, we would need the following from the client and their partner:-

ALL INCOMES, which include but are not exclusive:-

Benefits received

• Attendance allowance (please specify Care or Mobility and Lower, Middle or Higher Rate),
• Carers allowances,
• Mobility supplements
• State pension
• Pension savings credit
• Wages (either 3 months, or if paid weekly 6 weeks)
• Private pension/s
• Maintenance
• Any other income received

If you are in receipt of Attendance Allowance (please specify Care or Mobility and Lower, Middle or Higher Rate), Carers Allowances, Mobility Supplements, State Pension, Pension Savings Credit you will not need to provide evidence as the council can access your records through the DWP system.

ALL SAVINGS, which include but are not exclusive:

• All bank and building society accounts, (3 months’ worth of each)
• ISA’s (3 months’ worth)
• Premium bonds
• Post Office accounts (3 months’ worth)
• Savings bonds
• Property within the UK or abroad, businesses
• If you have Investment Shares or Stocks, you must indicate type and number of shares, rather than current value.

Where the value of the grant exceeds £5000 and the applicant owns the property, the grant will be registered as a local land charge.

If the applicant sells or transfers the property within 10 years of completion of the DFG work, we may demand a full repayment or part of the grant up to a maximum of £10,000.

A Local land charge will not be registered on properties that are rented from a Housing Association or a private landlord.

A self service 'means test calculator' will assist you in understanding how much financial support you may be entitled to. Click the button below to access an online calculator.