Financial help with adaptations
This content applies to England only.
Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland
If you or someone in your household is disabled, and you need to adapt your home to make day-to-day living easier, then you may be able to get a grant from the council to help with the cost of the work. But first social services will carry out a needs assessment, to decide what kinds of adaptations you require.
What kinds of help can I get?
All equipment and adaptations costing less than £1,000 are provided free of charge if the council says you need them. For more expensive adaptations your council may assist you in applying for a grant from the housing department. The type of adaptation you receive will normally be recommended by an occupational therapist after a needs assessment.
If you don’t get assistance from your local council, you may be able to get help from a voluntary association in your area, or pay for the adaptations privately.
For more information contact Age UK.
Disabled facilities grants
The disabled facilities grant covers adaptations costing between £1,000- £30,000 (but in some cases you may be able to get more). This help is means-tested and depends on your income, savings, and capital, and that of your partner (there is no means test for disabled children).
You will need to apply for this grant from the housing or social services department of your local council. You can only get this help after an occupational therapist decides that you need the adaptations, and you will need to live in the property for at least five years after the adaptations have been carried out, or you will have to repay the cost.
Don’t start work before the council has approved your application, as the council is unlikely to pay if the work is already underway.
How long can it take?
There can be delays in getting a disabled facilities grant, but you should not have to wait for more than six months to hear the council’s decision, or more than 12 months to get the money.
If you experience delays in getting the grant, complain first to your local council, and if that is not successful contact the Local Government Ombudsman.
Discretionary assistance
Councils also have powers to provide discretionary assistance for small adaptations, to top up the grant, or to help people move house.
Home improvement agencies
Home improvement agencies, also known as care and repair agencies are not-for-profit agencies that help people who are old, disabled or on low incomes to adapt and/or repair their own homes.
Home improvement agencies help both tenants and homeowners, and can provide handyman schemes to carry out work. Some councils don’t provide access to a home improvement agency, but may employ handymen themselves.
For more information contact Age UK, or Foundations, the national body for home improvement agencies in England.
Home improvement trusts
If you need to make a contribution towards your adaptations, or you prefer not to use the council’s services, then you can contact a home improvement trust.
Home improvement trusts operate something called the Houseproud scheme along with local councils to help older homeowners release equity in their homes to pay for repairs, adaptations and improvements – this is something that is not usually recommended, so always get independent financial advice before you sign up to something like this. You might be able to get help from charities instead.
Help with interest payments on loans
You may be able to get some help with interest payments on loans that you took out to repair or improve your home, if you are receiving one of the these benefits:
- pension credit
- income related employment and support allowance
- income-based jobseekers allowance
- income support.
For more information about paying for adaptations contact Age UK, or find an adviser in your area.
