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.
What happens next?
- After receiving your recommendation from an Occupational Therapist, you will be contacted to begin the eligibility assessment / application process
- 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.
- You will be given the option to use a Home Improvement Agency to guide you through the whole process, which is our recommended approach, or alternately you may make your own arrangements to complete the application and organise the works. The Home Improvement Agency used by the Council’s Environmental Health Service is Epping Forest 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).
- If you choose to use the Home Improvement Agency to process your grant, they will assist you with applying for a grant and arranging the works to adapt your home. 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
- Once your application is complete, the Home Improvement Agency will forward it to this Service for our approval. If no problems are found, the Service will approve your application and a suitable date can then be arranged for the chosen contractor to start the works. No works may start until an application has been approved by the Council in writing.
- Once the works commence, the Home Improvement Agency will be in regular contact with the chosen contractor to ensure the process runs smoothly and will be available to assist you in the event of any issues.
- 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.
If you require any further information, please contact this service on 01268 882200, email dfg@castlepoint.gov.uk or visit Disabled Facilities Grants | GOV.UK.