Disabled Facilities Grants

The application process

After the initial needs assessment and informal means testing, your application can move forward.

This starts with allocating a member of the HAS team to support you. Your application then moves forward in these stages:

After contacting you, the HAS team member will arrange a home visit. They will explain the process and may take some measurements. They will also judge the feasibility of the recommendations, taking into consideration the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) criteria of any adaptation being:

  • necessary
  • appropriate
  • reasonable
  • practicable

Following the initial visit to your home, our HAS team will develop the plan and specification for the proposed adaptations.

These will then be agreed as meeting your long-term needs by both:

  • you, the applicant
  • the occupational therapy (OT) team

Landlord permission

If you are a tenant of a private landlord or housing association, the HAS team will also liaise with your landlord to get permission for the works. Your application can only move forward with your landlord's consent.

You need to submit any relevant building permissions, for example planning permission and building control approval.

All the necessary permission needs to be granted for your application to progress.

The HAS team will contact one of our approved contractors or builders from our procured framework.

The contractor or builder will then contact you directly to arrange visit to your home to quote for the works.

If you have your own builder or have a preference, your HAS team member will be able to give you further advice. Any builder carrying out works funded by DFG needs appropriate insurance and relevant qualifications and certifications to carry out the work.

We are required by law to arrange at least:

  • two quotes for works costing £1,000 to £5,000
  • three quotes for works costing £5,001 to £30,000

Following the 'informal' means test at the assessment stage, you now need to complete a formal means test.

The formal means test determines the exact contribution you will pay towards the works.

We will tell you the exact information we need to complete the means test. You will need to provide all your financial and benefit details and award letters. Your allocated HAS team member can help you with this if you need it.

You must provide all the financial information and evidence we need in order to progress your application.

We will then advise you by letter of the outcome of your formal means test.

This will include a reply slip. You need to return the signed reply slip to confirm you:

  • accept the result of your formal means test
  • are happy to pay any assessed contribution

All the information you need for your application should be ready. This includes:

  • planning notices (if needed)
  • planning permission granted (if needed)
  • party wall notification (if needed)
  • Building Control approval (if needed)
  • formal means testing financial information and evidence
  • two or three quotes for the works
  • signed owners/tenants certificate
  • proof of property ownership
  • landlord consent to the works (if applicable)
  • plans/specifications for the works
  • approval of the design for your adaptation from the OT team

You can then sign and submit your application.

After this, we are legally obliged to approve the grant within six months.

We will try to approve grant applications as quickly as we can.

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