FAQS Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)

What is a disabled facilities grant?

A disabled facilities grant (DFG) is a locally funded grant that offers help in making the lives of disabled people easier. Such grants are granted mandatorily to improve the living conditions of disabled people and to improve their daily day to day lives.

These grants offer the funds for the necessary facilities for disabled people and are often given to help in improving the mobility conditions of such people.

What does disable facilities grant include?

The grant may include the following facilities:

1. Offer to help improve the mobility conditions of the disabled person by installing a stair lift or by creating a bathroom downstairs.
2. Install ramps and other wheelchair-friendly equipment in the homes of wheelchair users.
3. Improve existing lighting and heating conditions of the house.
4. Modify a bathroom in such a manner that it is easy to use for the disabled person.

Who can apply for the disabled facilities grant?

The disabled person or any person on behalf of the disabled person can apply for the grant. Furthermore, the disabled person whether living as a tenant or in their own home can apply for the grant. However, the person applying for the grant or the person on whose behalf the grant is being granted for should intend to live in the same house or place for the next five years to be eligible for the grant.

What is the amount of the grant that will be granted?

Disabilities facilities grant is awarded to disabled persons of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Scotland too has a grant, but the rules for such grant are different and are regulated by other norms.

1. A grant of up to £30,000 can be awarded in England
2. A grant of up to £25,000 can be awarded in Northern Ireland
3. A grant of up to £36,000 can be awarded in Wales.

Additionally, the sum of the amount offered as the grant will depend on the income of the disabled person and the amount of work that needs to be done. Other than this, VAT may be applied wherever necessary. The cost of work to be done in the house of the disabled person will only consider the amount of work that needs to be done in the house of any disabled person of or above the age of 18.

What will my grant application entail?

When you apply for the disabled facilities grant, you will be asked to submit various details and the means testing of your application will be done. The means testing is applicable to only those applicants who are of the age or above the age of 18 and does not apply to children and minors.

Means testing will consider the amount of capital the disabled person has, the income of the disabled person and may also include the amount of capital and income details of their partners or spouse. This includes:

1. Any savings
2. The weekly, monthly or annual income including pensions and other benefits.

When a form for disabled facilities grant is submitted, the applicant will be required to fill out the financial assessment form as well. The grant that will be awarded to the disabled person will depend on the income statements and the details you submit along with your form.

What will happen once you submit the application for the disabled facilities grant?

Once you complete the form and submit it, your form will be scrutinized and checked thoroughly. Other than this, your form will be assessed for adaptations as:

1. Necessary
2. Appropriate
3. Practical
4. Reasonable, and
5. Possible

Apart from this, an occupational therapist will visit the house of the disabled applicant to ascertain the degree of disability and what kind of adaptations can be made to the house. The therapist will review the house and ascertain what adaptations are necessary and other possible adaptations for the disabled person’s home. Apart from this, all the recommended adaptations will be discussed with the disabled person. If the disabled person agrees to the recommendations for the funding offered by the council for the grant, the grant will be awarded to the person.

How long would a person have to wait to hear from the authorities about the grant?

Once a valid application is filled out and submitted, the disabled person should hear from the authorities within the next six months. However, this period could be extended by six more months. It must be noted, that a reply should not take more than 12 months.

Other than this, it must also be noted that the authorities can grant or refuse the disabled facilities grant.

How can you avoid delays when you fill out your disabled facilities grant form?

To make sure that you hear from the authorities in time, you must:

1. Give correct information in the form.
2. You must submit the completed DFG form.
3. You must provide a complete owner’s or tenants form with your application.
4. You must submit a written permission from your landlord stating your landlord’s permission for adaptations work.
5. Estimates of the adaptations.
6. Details or expenses of any other things related to the work to be done and the adaptations to be made should also be included.
7. Evidence of the applicant’s National Insurance number should also be included.

All of the above-mentioned points should be kept in mind while filling out the form in order to avoid delays. If an application for the grant is submitted in an incomplete manner, then the legal time limits for the application do not apply.

Furthermore, to avoid unnecessary delays, the person must submit all the above-mentioned information in writing and only in written format.

What happens if the local authority has run out of money?

Disabled facilities grant is mandatory for all those who are eligible for the grant. The accounts of the local authorities are not a question, if the disabled person qualifies for the grant, the grant will be awarded no questions asked.

If the local authority does not have Occupational Therapists (OTs), does this mean applications will be delayed?

No, the statutory time limits to the application so submitted still apply. Even if the local authority does not have occupational therapists at hand, the authority can collaborate with private therapists to get the work done.

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About the author

Sumit Agarwal
Sumit Agarwal (ACMA ACA India), the Managing partner of dns accountants is a highly respected accountant with expertise in helping owner-managed businesses.