Government announces extra funding for home adaptations

Published	14 January 2008

Hundreds of older and disabled people across the country will benefit from an extra £11.5 million for home adaptations to help them live independently in their homes, Communities Minister Baroness Andrews announced today. The funding will help councils ramp up their Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) programme until the end of March.

The programme already helps around 35,000 disabled and older people live safely and independently in their home each year by making adaptations such as wheelchair ramps, stair lifts and downstairs bathrooms.

Baroness Andrews said:

"The Disabled Facilities Grant provides domestic adaptations that make a huge difference to the quality of life of older and disabled people. Every year the Grant helps thousands of people live comfortably and safely in their own homes."

The highly successful programme has seen its funding more than double from £57million in 1997 to £126 million this year. This now increases to £138million following this in year allocation. Applicants can receive grant up to £25,000 for the provision of adaptations.
Further announcements will be made in due course on the future funding of Disabled Facilities Grant and a package of changes to improve delivery of the programme as part of the cross departmental review of the Disabled Facilities Grant.

Notes to editors

1. The DFG programme is run by Communities and Local Government and administered through local housing authorities. The Communities and Local Government funding available for DFG in 2007-08 is now £138million. Since 1997, central government funding has more than doubled, from £57million, with a further increase in 2008-09 taking the national total to £146million.

2. DFG is a mandatory entitlement for eligible disabled people in all housing tenures. There is a maximum grant of £25,000. The grant goes towards a range of housing adaptations which are needed to ensure that the disabled occupant can remain living an independent life at home. The funding can help provide access ramps, stair lifts, level access showers and home extensions if extra living accommodation is required.

3. The Disabled Facilities Grant consultation and summary of responses to the Governments proposals to improve the programme are available at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/disabled-prgramme.

4. Ministers have today made a written statement to both Houses of Parliament which sets out in detail the proposals contained in the consultation paper. A list of the local authorities and the additional funding is available at: www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/doc/646786.