Disabled Housing Adaptations
Adaptations for disabled persons homes – Disabled Facilities Grants, Loans, Advice and Support
For a short period from the 27th June 2011 the Home Improvement Agency will be providing an new service for Disabled Facilities Grants. This will include an assessment of needs, advising what works will help you to live more independently in your own home and assisting you to get the works done. If you would like an assessment for a grant please contact the Housing Assessment Team on 02476 376 294 or e-mail us on hat@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk.
Grants and loans are available, for the adaptation of dwellings to suit the needs of a disabled resident. These may include:
- Works to enable access to and from a dwelling/building containing a dwelling. e.g. This could include: ramps to front and rear doors (only if reasonable and practicable); parking area in front garden including drive and dropped kerb.
- Making a dwelling safe for disabled occupant. e.g. where disabled client has behavioural problems; installation of toughened glass or guards to fires and stairs etc.
- Providing access to the principal family room or bedroom. e.g. widening doors, installation of stair lift/through floor lift
- Providing access to a bath/shower room. e.g. replace bath with shower, shower over bath, down stairs bath/shower room, adapted facilities etc..
- Providing preparation and cooking of food by the disabled occupant. e.g. modification of kitchen units for wheel chair use, etc..
- Improving or providing suitable heating for the disabled occupant. e.g. replace coal fire with electric or gas fire, relocate sockets or central heating.
- Enabling the use of power, light or heat by the disabled occupant by altering access or controls, or by providing additional controls.
- Enabling access around the dwelling to enable the disabled occupant to care for another person. e.g. widening doors, stair lifts etc.. AND TO THE GARDEN - NEW!
The grants/loans are MANDATORY but means tested (now except for disabled children), subject to a maximum of £30,000* per application, and are not repayable on sale of the property [though the Council can ask to reclaim equipment, such as stair lifts].
*£10,000 of this may be a loan, which is not repayable if the property does not transfer within 10 years. The Council also retains first refusal to recycle stairlifts if no longer required by the client.
NEW - try this link to the Warwickshire Accessible Housing website - it is a wealth of advice and information. http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/WAH
