Disabled Facilities Grants

A Disabled Facilities Grant is available to anyone who is registered as disabled. A DFG assists with providing essential equipment and physical alterations to your home to improve freedom of movement.​

​When an Occupational Therapist has identified that adaptations are necessary, a Disabled Facilities Grant provides help with the cost towards the changes needed to your home, or equipment to make it easier to live there. ​ 

​ The Disabled Facilities Grants can include: ​ 

• Ramped access
• Low-level or level access shower​
• Extensions which include bathrooms and additional bedrooms
• Through floor lifts

​We aim to take the complication out of applying for the Disabled Facilities Grant, make it run as smoothly as possible and take out all the worry. By telephone and during our visit, we will:​ 

• walk you through the process.​ 
• help you complete the application forms. 
• survey your home and discuss the proposed works.
• answer any questions or concerns you may have.​​ 

We will draft a schedule of works based on the agreed conversation during the initial visit, select suitable contractors from our approved framework, and obtain prices on your behalf.  

We will also undertake the relevant checks with Building Regulations, Planning and Conservation Officers, including submitting any plans for relevant documents on your behalf, all with your consent. If you are a tenant, we can also liaise with your landlord,​​ whether that be a Housing Association or private landlord. 

Eligibility and Criteria​

The first step is for an Occupational Therapist from Somerset Council to assess your need. The Occupational Therapist will inform us if the Disabled Facilities Grant is suitable and provide a recommendation, setting out what adaptations would be required to meet your need. This is called the Necessary and Appropriate stage.​ 

Our Technical Officers will then assess if the proposed adaptations are reasonable and practicable.

Funding

Since 2015, the government has provided funding for Disabled Facilities Grants through the Better Care Fund in recognition of the importance of ensuring adaptations as part of an integrated approach to housing, health and social care locally, and to help promote joined up local person-centred approaches to supporting communities.​ ​ 

The mandatory grant limit for a Disabled Facilities Grants is £30,000. Disabled Facilities Grants are means tested. If you are on a passported benefit or the works are for a child, there is no contribution to make if the works are less than £30,000.​

​There is a modest fee of 12% of the cost of the eligible works including any costs associated with planning, Listed Building consent and Building Regulations. The fees and any costs associated with consent for planning and building regulations may be included in your grants.

Process

1. The client contacts Somerset Council.
2. An Occupational Therapist carries out an assessment.
3. The Occupational Therapist’s assessment is submitted to Somerset Independence Plus.
4. A means test is carried out and a grant decision is made.
5. The case is allocated to a Technical Officer.
6. The Technical Officer and a contractor will visit the property to discuss the adaptations and agree on a quotation.
7. The agreed adaptation is carried out by the contractor.
8. We carry out a completion inspection and pay the contractor.
9. Feedback is provided.
10. The case is closed.

Next Steps

Visit our Care and support for adults page for more information.

Below is a button to the online test of resources form. Completing this will determine your eligibility for a grant and any possible contributions towards future grant work.​