Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG)

Disabled Facilities Grants are “to modify an individual’s home environment in order to restore or enable independent living, privacy, confidence and dignity for individuals and their families.”

What is a Disabled Facilities Grant?

Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) can be made, up to the value of £30,000, for essential major adaptations to your home. These include:

  • Improving access to the home – for example ramps and half steps
  • Improving access and movement in the home – for example hoists and stairlifts
  • Providing suitable hygiene facilities -  for example bathroom and toilet facilities

Eligibility for a Disabled Facilities Grant

To be eligible for a DFG:

  • You or someone living in your property must be disabled
  • You or the person you’re applying for can own the property, or be a tenant, but you must intend to live there during the "grant period" (currently 5 years)
  • The requested adaptation must be "necessary and appropriate" to meet your needs 
  • The requested adaptation must be "reasonable and practical" for your home environment
  • A DFG cannot be given for work that is already in progress or that has been completed. You must apply for DFG funding before you start any work at your property

Before agreeing a DFG the Council will consider if equipment or smaller adaptations can help you, these may be funded by us or purchased privately.

Financial Assessment

The amount of each grant depends on a financial assessment to decide if you need to pay anything towards the cost of the work. Disabled children under 18 can get a grant without their parents’ income being taken into account.

Applying for a DFG 

To discuss the help you need and start your application for a DFG:

Repayment of Disabled Facilities Grants

If your grant is over £5,000 you may be required to repay the grant given if within 10 years of the works being completed:

  • you move or sell your home
  • it is no longer your main place of residence

Last Updated: 24 June 2020