Disabled Facilities Grants are used to adapt home environments to provide facilities which will enable or restore independent living and dignity for individuals and their families. The maximum grant available is £30,000.
Who can apply?
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.
How to apply?
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:
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
Do I need to pay back the grant?
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.
Their role in the grants process is to act as your agent and project manage the work. Generally their work will include surveying your property, drawing up a schedule of work, producing a fixed price tender or obtaining quotes from at least two contractors, obtaining Planning Consent and Building Regulation Consent where necessary and supervising the works once they have started, up to completion.
Their fee is charged at 15% of the cost of works and is included in the value of the grant awarded. If you have a contribution to make toward the cost of any grant awarded, it will not increase to cover the costs of the agency service.
Further information
More information on what the grants can cover and the grant process can be obtained by contacting the DFG Team:
