Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG)
If you are elderly or have a disability, you may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to provide adaptations in your home. The focus of this grant is to make changes that can enable you to remain living independently at home.
The amount of grant funding you may be eligible to receive depends on household income and savings that amount to over £6,000. Depending upon your financial circumstances, you may need to pay towards the cost of the work. Grants are means tested and are for both tenants and homeowners. Children with a disability and aged under 19 are eligible to receive a grant without going through any means test. Please note that these grants are subject to available funding and grant assistance can not be given retrospectively after works have been completed.
Adaptations need to have been recommended by an Occupational Therapist. These include:
- improving access into and around your home including your main living area, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and improving facilities or providing suitable facilities where there are none.
- making the home safer.
- improving a heating system in your home - if there is no appropriate heating system, providing a suitable one to meet a medical need.
- adapting heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use.
- improving movement around your home or so you can care for someone else who lives with you.
If you own your property, you are responsible for the maintenance of any adaptations. If you are a tenant, you will need to check with your landlord that they will allow any adaptations, and that they are prepared to maintain the changes on your behalf.
You may need to repay some of your grant if you sell or move from your property within 10 years of any adaptations being finished. If you are currently on the housing register, please note this may impact if you are eligible for a grant as you may not be remaining in the property planned for adaptation works.
Will I be financially eligible for a DFG?
If you would like to find out if you are likely to be eligible before you make an application for a DFG, you can complete a financial review using this online means test calculator. This is a guide only and doesn’t confirm eligibility. Financial information will be checked as part of the grant application process and financial eligibility will be determined at that point.
If you are over 65 and have minor repair works or adaptations to your home, you may be interested in our handyperson service.
If you want to find out more information about benefits or see if you are eligible for benefits, visit our benefit information.
What happens after I've made an application?
Once your application has been submitted to our team, we will contact you and inform you of the next steps in the process. Please visit our FAQs plage to find out more. It is not necessary to contact us unless your circumstances have changed since your initial application.