Housing grants
Mandatory Disabled Facilities grant (DFG)
Available to home owners, private tenants and housing association tenants this grant will help provide home adaptations to enable disabled people to stay living independently in their own homes.
The grant is means tested unless the works are for a disabled child under the age of nineteen years.
Eligible works may include, but are not limited to, providing the following:
- stair-lifts
- level access shower facilities
- ground floor bedrooms
- ramps
- door widening
- kitchen alterations
Discretionary Moving On grants may be available where it is more appropriate for an applicant to move to a more suitable property instead of adapting their current home. Moving On grants also cover removal costs, legal fees and stamp duty where applicable.
A maximum grant of £30,000 for mandatory DFGs. Maximum £10,000 grant for moving costs and maximum of £20,000 to pay for adaptations.
How to apply for a housing grant
You will have an assessment of your needs by an occupational therapist who will then refer you to us. You can arrange for an assessment by contacting:
- Gloucestershire Social Services website
- phoning 01452 426868
Prior to arranging an assessment you may wish to contact the Council’s preferred Home Improvement Agency, Safe at Home, who can help you through the application process and liaise with us and builders on your behalf. The Safe at Home leaflet gives you more information.
Payments
Payments will not be made before work is undertaken. On completion to a satisfactory standard and on receipt of an invoice, payments for works can be made to the grant applicant or directly to the contractor.
Stay Safe grants
Grants are available to owner-occupiers who are aged 60 plus, or in receipt of a disability related benefit, and who are also in receipt of a means tested benefit. Owner occupiers include owners of park homes who rent pitches and tenants with repairing responsibility. The purpose of the grant is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the occupant and any visitors to the property.
There are 2 types of circumstance in which a Stay Safe grant may be awarded:
- Fast-track assistance for repairs is available where there is category one hazard posing an imminent risk of serious harm (as defined in the Housing Act 2004) to theoccupant’s health and safety and referral elsewhere (e.g. a Green Deal Provider for heating improvements) is either not an option or would take too long.
- Stay Safe can also be used for falls prevention measures, hard wired smoke alarms and improved security measures such as additional locks to windows and doorswhere this has been assessed as a category one or category two hazard. This is only to be used where no other form of assistance is available (e.g. from the FireService or other local authority services).
Stay Safe is a non-repayable grant of up to £5,000 per grant. More than one grant can be applied for however the maximum available is £5,000 in any three year period. Only one estimate is needed provided the cost is deemed reasonable by the case officer.
