Disabled facilities grant
We can provide financial help for the cost of essential adaptation work to make a house suitable for a disabled person to live in.
The Disabled Facilities Grant does not apply to Council tenants, who can access adaptations through the Council’s separate tenant aids and adaptations policy.
What is the disabled facilities grant?
We provide this means-tested grant to make adaptations to your home that can help you to live more independently.
The maximum grant amount £30,000.
The grant is subject to a means test which will look at the income, capital and savings of the disabled person and their spouse or partner. The applicant’s assessed financial contribution (if any) will be deducted from the approved grant. Where the application is for a disabled child or young person under the age of 19 there is no financial means test.
Who can apply?
You can apply for this grant if you
- own your own home or are a shared owner
- are a private tenant or tenant of a housing association
- are a landlord applying on behalf of a disabled tenant
This grant can fund
- widening doors and installing ramps, providing or improving access to rooms and facilities
- improving or providing a suitable heating system• improving access to and movement around the home
- improving access to and from the garden where feasible
- facilitating the preparation and cooking of food by the disabled person
- assistive technology to maintain or improve an individual's functioning and independence
- helping a disabled person move into a decent home which is already suitable or which is capable of being easily adapted to meet their needs (maximum £6,000)
The proposed works must be necessary and appropriate to meet the disabled person’s needs. Where the Council is not satisfied of this, an application for DFG may be refused.
How to apply
To find out if a disabled person is eligible for a visit and assessment by an Occupational Therapist, you can contact the Community Occupational Therapy service directly via: our Gateway on 020 8314 7777, grantsandloans@lewisham.gov.uk or request an assessment online.
Before the council can decide whether to approve or refuse a housing assistance application, the applicant must submit a 'valid application'. A valid application will consist of completing and submitting the following documents:
- a prescribed application form
- a certificate of ownership
- proof of earnings or benefits
- if the applicant is a tenant, written confirmation from the owner that they agree to the work being carried out
- two quotations from legitimate building contractors
- details of any professional fees and/or other ancillary charges
If the applicant has a long-term serious illness, the Council may require a medical report from the applicant’s GP or consultant.
How the grant is calculated
A Disabled Facilities Grant is means tested, which means that some people may have to pay a contribution towards their grant. An officer from the council will contact you for an assessment. If you are receiving income-based benefits you will qualify for the grant. The council officer will also inform you of any contribution that needs to be made. There is no means testing for families of disabled children under the age of 19.
The Council will impose a local land charge on a dwelling, if it is sold or otherwise disposed of within ten years of the certified date.
The charge will only be placed on owner’s applications where the amount of grant exceeds £5,000. The maximum charge is £10,000.
Discretionary Disabled Facilities Grant
This is discretionary grant to top up a DFG to carry out works that are above the current mandatory limit of £30,000.
The maximum grant amount is £15,000. This grant is not means tested.
Eligibility for the Discretionary DFG will be decided on a case-by-case basis as part of the DFG application and decision-making process.
For full information on the grant and conditions, please read the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and Discretionary DFG Policy.