Disabled Facilities Grants

 

What is a Disabled Facilites Grant?

A Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a means tested grant offered to disabled people who need to make adaptations to their home. For example:

  • Ramps
  • Stair lifts
  • Graded floor showers
  • Specialist toilets
  • Through Floor Lifts
     

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for a DFG, you or someone else living in your property must be disabled. Either you, or the person you are applying for, must either own the property or be a tenant and must intend to live at the property for 5 years.

If you are a tenant, you must have your landlord’s permission to carry out any adaptation works to the property.
 

How do I apply?

To apply for a DFG, you must contact Essex County Council’s Adult Social Care department on 0345 603 7630. They will advise you further and will arrange for an Occupational Therapist to visit you at your home to assess your needs.

If you need adaptations made to your property, the Occupational Therapist will send in a recommendation to the Council’s Environmental Health Service. The Service will then send a financial means test to you to assess whether you are eligible for the grant.

For further information, you can visit:

www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/overview
 

What happens next?

  1. After receiving your recommendation from an Occupational Therapist, the Council’s Environmental Health Service will send you a provisional means test. You will be asked to complete this and return it to the Service to assess if you are eligible for a DFG.
     
  2. If you are eligible, you may have a contribution to make towards the cost of any grant aided works. You will be informed if this is the case.
     
  3. Once funding becomes available, the Council’s Environmental Health Service will contact you and let you know your application will be processed. Please note, the Service has limited funding and so sometimes there may be a wait before your application is processed.
     
  4. You will be given the option to use the Home Improvement Agency or to make your own arrangements for the recommended works. The Home Improvement Agency used by the Council’s Environmental Health Service is Basildon Borough Council. They work alongside this Service to process your application. If you wish to make your own arrangements, you will need to discuss this with this Service to ensure it is completed in line with the DFG legislation (Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996).
     
  5. If you choose to use the Home Improvement Agency to process your grant, this Service will send your Occupational Therapist recommendation over to them. They will then start to process your application. This will involve:
     
  • Completing another means test to see if you have a contribution to make (no longer provisional)
  • Arranging for plans to be drawn up by a surveyor (if necessary)
  • Arranging for quotes from 3 contractors
  • Helping you to complete all necessary paperwork
  • Verifying who owns the property
     
  1. Once your application is complete, the Home Improvement Agency will send it over to this Service for our approval. If no problems are found, the Service will approve your application and you will be asked to arrange a suitable date for the chosen contractor to start the works.
     
  2. Once the works commence, you will be advised to contact the Home Improvement Agency if any problems arise. They will be in regular contact with your chosen contractor to ensure the process runs smoothly.
     
  3. After the works are complete, the Home Improvement Agency will carry out a completion visit to ensure the works have been finished satisfactorily. This Service will then arrange for the contractors to be paid. DFG Policy and Guidance v2.3 [pdf] 379KB

If you require any further information, please contact this Service on 01268 882200 (option 5) or email dfg@castlepoint.gov.uk