Disabled Facilities Grant

• Providing access to and from the home - for example, ramps, shallow steps, hardstandings
• Making the home safe for the disabled person and others living in the house - such as guard rails and safety glass
• Providing access to the principal family room such as widening doorways
• Providing access to a bedroom such as a stairlift or extension
• Providing access to the lavatory - eg by altering bathroom layouts or providing specialist WCs
• Providing access to a bath or shower - eg by replacing a bath with a level access shower
• Providing access to a wash basin
• Enabling the disabled occupier to prepare and cook food - eg by providing low level kitchen units
• Improving or providing space heating or heating controls
• Enabling the disabled occupier to use and control power, light and heat - eg by altering the position of light switches and power sockets
• Enabling the disabled occupier to move around the home to care for another person - eg to enable a parent to care for a child.

Please note that the Disabled Facilites Grant is not available to Waverley Borough Council tenants.

Referrals by Social Services

We work closely with Surrey County Council Social Services Department in the provision of these grants and people who wish to apply for a DFG can make their enquiry through either agency.

It is the responsibility of the Social Services Department to decide what works are necessary and appropriate to the individual's needs. This decision is based on an assessment by an Occupational Therapist (OT).

If you think you will have difficulty in completing the forms, designing the works or obtaining estimates, you should contact the Guildford & Waverley Care & Repair Agency for their help. They will also oversee the works to completion and can help you to claim any benefits to which you may be entitled.

Handyperson Service

If you are over 60, disabled or vulnerable, our Handyperson Service, provided by the Guildford and Waverley Care and Repair Agency, can carry out a range of minor works to help prevent falls and speed up return to home from hospital. 

Owner-occupiers and tenants

For owner-occupiers and tenants, the grant is subject to a test of financial resources (or means test) but you do not have to be in receipt of a means tested benefit to be able to get a grant.

The means test looks at your household income and savings and compares it with standard expenses based on your family size, ages, any disability etc. These standard expenses are set out in government regulations. Any excess of income over expenses is used to calculate the amount that you would be expected to contribute towards the cost of any work.

If the cost of the works is less than your contribution figure, you will not receive any grant. If the costs exceed your contribution figure, you will receive a grant amounting to the difference between the cost of the works and your contribution.

If you would like to get an approximate idea of what your contribution is likely to be, then please complete the online means test calculator.

We can carry out a preliminary means test and let you know the result. Please contact us for a preliminary means test form on 01483 523372 or privatesectorhousing@waverley.gov.uk

Even if you will not receive any money as a result of the means test, there are circumstances when it is worth applying for a grant and having a zero grant approved. This is because any successive grant applications for further works within the next 10 years will take into account the contribution which you have already made under a previous grant.

Please note that these is no means test for the installation of rails, ramps, shallow steps or stairlifts.

Making a grant application

A grant application is only considered complete when we have received all the required documents eg completed application form, itemised estimates (normally at least two) and proof of income (where required).

You must not start any works until you receive formal approval of your application for assistance. No grant will be paid for any works carried out before the grant has been approved. However you must ensure that the works are completed within 12 months of the Notice of Grant Approval otherwise the grant may be cancelled.

For further advice please contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01483 523372 or privatesectorhousing@waverley.gov.uk.

Works above £30,000

Where the eligible works will cost more than £30,000, we may consider awarding a Disabled Facilities Grant for more than the mandatory £30,000. The level of this discretionary additional grant will be determined following a more detailed assessment of the applicant's financial position. We may require repayment of some or all of this additional grant if the property is sold within 10 years of completion of the works (see Grant repayments below).

Landlords

We will also approve grants to landlords for adaptations for the benefit of their disabled tenants.

Where the works do not increase the capital value of the property, the grant covers the whole cost of the works (including VAT and fees where applicable) up to the maximum amount of £30,000.

If the works do increase the value of the property, the available grant is for the whole cost of the works less the assessed increase in capital value of the property as a result of the works. This means that the net cost to the landlord is nil.

Other forms of assistance

Where the work does not fall within the categories listed in the introduction above or the grant does not meet the whole cost of the works, we, or the Guildford and Waverley Care & Repair Agency may be able to assist by helping clients to obtain an equity release loan, charity funding or other forms of assistance.

Grant repayments

If the grant is for works to provide an additional bedroom, bathroom or toilet, we may apply a condition to the approval to require repayment of part of the grant if you sell or transfer your property within 10 years of completion of the works.

This condition will only apply if the recipient of the grant has an owner's interest in the property.

This condition does not apply to the first £5,000 of any grant and the maximum grant repayment of any mandatory grant is £10,000. This condition will also apply to the whole of any additional grant above the £30,000 mandatory limit.

Once six full years have passed following the certified date, we will reduce the amount of grant subject to the repayment condition by 20% after each successive 12 months. For example:

• If the amount of grant was £15,000 and the property is sold up to 6 years after the certified date then the repayable amount is £10,000
• If the amount of grant was £15,000 and the property is sold up to 7 years after the certified date then the repayable amount is £8,000.

We may decide not to require repayment of the grant, or to demand a lesser amount, if one of the following provisions applies:

• The recipient of the grant would suffer financial hardship if he/she is required to repay all or any of the grant
• The sale or transfer of the premises is to enable the recipient of the grant to take up employment or to change the location of his/her employment
• The sale or transfer is made for reasons connected with the physical or mental health or wellbeing of the recipient of the grant or of a disabled occupant of the premises
• The sale or transfer is made to enable the recipient of the grant to live with, or near, any person who is disabled or infirm and in need of care, which the recipient of the grant is intending to provide
• The sale or transfer is made to enable the recipient of the grant to live with, or near, any person who is intending to provide care of which the recipient of the grant is in need by reason of disability or infirmity.