A Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) helps pay for changes to a home if someone with a disability needs adaptations. The person making the application does not always have to be the disabled person. Parents, landlords, or carers can sometimes apply too.
The Applicant
The applicant must be one of the following:
- The owner of the property (including landlords)
- A tenant
- An occupant of a houseboat or caravan
Owner’s applications
- Owners must have a legal interest in the property.
- The disabled person must plan to live there as their main home for at least five years.
- If there are multiple owners, one may apply but all must agree to the works.
Tenant’s applications
- Includes secure, introductory, statutory, agricultural, or employee tenancies.
- Applications usually require the landlord’s permission.
Houseboat or caravan applications
- Occupants may apply, but must have the site or mooring owner’s permission.
The Disabled Occupant
The “disabled occupant” is the person who needs the adaptations. They must:
- Intend to live in the property as their main home for at least five years after the work.
Who is considered disabled?
You are considered disabled if you have:
- Serious sight, hearing, or speech problems
- A mental health condition
- A significant physical disability from illness, injury, or impairment
This includes adults under the Care Act 2014 and children under the Children Act 1989.
Understanding impairment
- Impairment: a physical or mental condition that makes daily activities harder.
- Example: arthritis making it difficult to grip.
- Substantial effect: the impact must be more than minor or trivial.
- Example: significant difficulty walking, not just getting tired quickly.
- Long-term: the effect lasts at least a year or is expected to.
- Example: ongoing mobility problems following an operation.
Where adaptations can be made
- Houses, flats, bungalows
- Qualifying houseboats and caravans
- Shared areas of buildings where the disabled person lives
Multiple applications can be made if more than one disabled person lives at the same address.
Special situations
Children living with separated parents
- A grant is available at the home where the child mainly lives, usually with the parent receiving Child Benefit.
Children in foster care
- Foster carers can apply for adaptations for a foster child.
- Funding may depend on the type and length of placement.
- The housing authority where the carers live usually handles the grant, but the placing authority may also contribute.
Properties held in trust
- Treated like other owner-occupier applications, depending on the trust terms.
Persons from abroad
- Applicants must be “habitually resident” in the UK.
- They must not be considered a “person from abroad.”
- Proof such as a National Insurance number or, for EU citizens, settled status, may be required.
Key points to remember
- Applicants can be owners, tenants, or certain types of occupants.
- The disabled person must intend to live in the home for at least five years.
- Children, foster carers, trusts, and people from abroad all have special rules.
- Always check permissions from landlords or site owners before applying.
