Move to make disabled grants more accessible
17/01/2007
Proposals to widen the scope and improve the delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) programme by making the application process more flexible, easier and quicker are being consulted on.
The Government’s DFG programme provides nearly 35,000 grants each year in England to older and disabled people for housing adaptations such as ramps, lifts and level access showers. Disabled people in all housing tenures can apply for a grant.
The Government is proposing changes in the short and long term to enable councils to provide more front line support for vulnerable people who need help with home adaptations, as part of a wider progressive social care package which supports independent living.
The three-month consultation follows on from recommendations made in an independent report on the DFG programme commissioned by the Government and undertaken by Bristol University. One key recommendation, to remove the means test for children with disabilities, was implemented in January 2006.
The Government is also making available £126m for the DFG programme in England for 2007-08, an increase of 5 per cent on the amount for 2006-07.
Since 1997 the Government has more than doubled Government funding for the programme in England, from £57 million to £126 million in 2007/08. Local authorities are being informed of their individual allocations. These allocations can be found on the Communities and Local Government website, which is linked below.