Adaptations and Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)

A DFG is a means-tested grant for disabled people to enable you to make changes to your home to continue living there.

It could be used to fund work such as:

• widening doorways
• installing a stair lift
• converting a room to a toilet or wet room
• fitting handrails
• making outside steps easier to use or installing ramps
• Kitchen adaptations (such as rise and fall counters)

How much is available for a DFG?

In England, it’s possible to get up to £30,000

In Northern Ireland, up to £25,000 is available

In Scotland, the sum is discretionary, depending on the local council (for more information, see below).

In Wales, up to £36,000 is available.

 

Who can get a DFG?

The DFG is means tested for people aged 18 years or over, so the amount that you could get depends on your household income and savings. The means test looks at your income and savings together with that of your spouse or partner and any savings over £6k. Other members of the household aren't included.

As each local authority has its own policy, we're unable to provide you with information as to the threshold for income and savings. We suggest that you contact your local authority to find out more.

If you do wish to go ahead with adaptations and you face a shortfall in DFG funding your OT should be able to advise you on other possible avenues of funding or grants available in your locality. However, these are unlikely to cover the full amount.

If you are not eligible for DFG funding as you have not met the means test, the Council can still support you with the adaptations process even if you are funding this privately.

Disabled children under 18 can get a DFG grant without the need for a means test.

N.B. You cannot claim a DFG for works already completed or underway. We are unable to challenge any means test results. 

DFG funding will only finance adaptations that are reasonable, necessary and appropriate. It is usually the Occupational Therapist who will recommend what works are essential. Please note, the Council will choose the most cost-effective option for any works completed as DFG is public funding.

Adaptations in Scotland

Scotland operates slightly differently and does not follow a DFG process. Contact your local authority Adult Social Care Services if you think you need major adaptations. You should do this even if you do not want to apply for a grant. 

They will arrange for your needs to be assessed. This is usually done by an Occupational Therapist and will look at the difficulties you are facing in your home and suggest ways to help you. 

Your local Adult Social Care Service will decide, following the assessment of your needs, whether the changes needed to your home meet the conditions for essential work. The assessment will also consider how urgently you need a grant.

You will be awarded a grant for works that are deemed as essential, this is called ‘mandatory grant’.

The rules about mandatory grants apply to all Councils and there are two different levels of mandatory grant.

• Everyone will get 80% of the costs of work covered by mandatory grant.
• Some people will get 100% of the costs covered by grant.

For more information on the grants process in Scotland please see here.