Disabled Facilities Grants for Home Improvements

The Disabled Facilities Grant is available for adaptions to your home that will allow a disabled person to live independently in their home.

What type of work is eligible for a disabled facilities grant?

Disabled Facilities Grants are awarded for essential adaptations to give a disabled person better freedom of movement around the house that the Occupational Therapist has reccommended. This work includes:
- widening doors or installing ramps
- providing a specially adapted room in which it is safe to leave a disabled person unattended
- installing a stair lift so there is better access to a bathroom, kitchen, or bedroom installing a downstairs bathroom
- providing bathing or showering facilities that can be accessed by the applicant

When a mandatory grant is available but the cost of the work exceeds the mandatory grant limit, it may be possible it access a discretionary grant.

How is the disabled facilities grant calculated?

The grant is means tested to ensure that those in the most need get the most help. However, the council have introduced a discretionary grant policy to assist those not eligable. This new discretionary grant is a Ribble Valley Adaption and is available to enable one item to be installed and the maximum value is £5000.

The mandatory grant is determined by the income and capital of:
- the disabled person
- the disabled persons spouse or partner

grants for children and young persons under the age of 19 are no longer means tested 

You can apply for a grant if you are:
- a tenant or owner of a property
- a landlord on behalf of a disabled tenant

The person who applies for the grant does not have to be the disabled person who needs the adaptations.

However, the person applying for the grant will be asked to sign a certificate stating that the disabled person will occupy the home being adapted for at least five years. The time can be shorter if the disabled persons need to move for health reasons.

Whoever applies for the grant must produce a certificate of ownership or tenancy.

Contact Lancashire County Council on 0300 123 6720 and request an assessment by an Occupational Therapist. The Occupational Therapist will forward a recommendation for any works required to the Council. For more information please download the Disabled Facilities Grant Process.

Read more at https://www.ribblevalley.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/disabled-facilities-grants-1