Disabled Facilities Grant

The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a statutory grant provided by local housing authorities in England and Wales, funded partly by central government through the Better Care Fund. Its purpose is to fund adaptations to a home that are necessary and appropriate to meet the needs of a disabled occupant — enabling them to remain in their own home rather than having to move into residential care or a more accessible property.

The grant is available to disabled adults and children living in the property as their only or main home. You do not have to own the property — private tenants and social housing tenants can apply, though landlord consent is typically required for works to a rented property. Owner-occupiers, shared ownership tenants, and leaseholders are also eligible.

A disability for DFG purposes means a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities — broadly the same definition as under the Equality Act 2010. You do not need to be registered disabled, and there is no requirement to have a formal diagnosis for common needs like mobility impairment, visual impairment, or dementia. The OT assessment considers your functional needs rather than a diagnostic label.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, equivalent schemes operate under different names and rules. In Scotland, the Scheme of Assistance (including Adaptation Grants) is administered by councils. In Northern Ireland, the Housing Executive administers home adaptation grants. The figures and procedures in this guide relate to England and Wales.

The DFG covers a broad range of adaptations, provided they are assessed as necessary, appropriate, and reasonable and practicable to carry out. Common eligible works include:

• Access adaptations: Ramps and threshold changes at entrances, widened doorways (typically to at least 775mm clear opening), handrails on steps and paths
• Stairlifts and through-floor lifts: To enable access between floors where stairs have become inaccessible
• Wet rooms and level access showers: Replacing baths or standard showers with level access or walk-in showers that can be used with a shower chair or wheelchair
• Accessible bathrooms: Grab rails, raised toilet seats, accessible wash basins, heating adaptations
• Accessible kitchens: Lowered worktops, accessible storage, adapted appliances in some cases
• Heating systems: Installation or improvement of heating if lack of adequate heating is a risk to the disabled occupant's health
• Specialist equipment: Fixed ceiling track hoists, emergency alarm systems, adapted controls for lights and doors

The OT assessment determines which specific works are necessary for your needs. The council cannot refuse to fund adaptations that the OT has identified as necessary and appropriate, subject to the grant maximum and means test outcome. If the assessed cost of works exceeds the DFG maximum, many councils have discretionary top-up funding or can signpost to other sources such as Care and Repair agencies or the council's own capital programme.

DFG applications for disabled adults are subject to a means test. The test compares your assessed need (the cost of the works) with your ability to contribute from your own resources. If you have significant capital (savings, investments, equity) or high income, you may be expected to contribute to the cost or may not receive any grant at all if your resources are assessed as sufficient.

The means test considers:

• Capital: Savings and investments are considered; the first £6,000 is typically disregarded. Property equity is not included in the means test for owner-occupiers applying for works to their own home.
• Income: Benefits (including Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, and Attendance Allowance) are not counted as income for the means test. Employment and pension income above certain thresholds are taken into account.

If you receive certain means-tested benefits — including Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, or Income Support — you will typically receive the full grant up to the maximum, as these benefits indicate your resources are already assessed as insufficient to meet your needs.

Children's DFG applications are not means-tested. The full assessed cost of necessary adaptations is funded (up to the maximum) without any assessment of the family's financial resources.

If the cost of works exceeds the DFG maximum (£30,000 in England), the council has discretion to fund the excess through additional grants or council resources, though this is not guaranteed. If additional funding is not available, you would need to fund the excess yourself or consider whether a different, lower-cost adaptation approach could meet your needs within the maximum.

The DFG process begins with a request for an occupational therapy (OT) assessment. You can request this directly from your local council's social care department, or you may be referred by your GP, community nurse, or hospital discharge team. The OT will visit your home, assess your functional needs and how your current home fails to meet them, and recommend the adaptations required.

Once the OT has produced a recommendation, the council's housing or adaptation team takes over. They will:

• Carry out a means test (for adult applications)
• Obtain quotes from approved contractors for the recommended works
• Issue a formal DFG offer letter setting out the grant amount and conditions
• Oversee the works and make payment to the contractor on completion

The council must make a decision on your DFG application within six months of receiving the formal application. If the council fails to process your application within this timescale without good reason, you may be able to complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

If your adaptation needs are urgent — for example, you are being discharged from hospital and cannot return home without an adaptation — ask specifically about the council's urgent or fast-track DFG process. Most councils have an expedited pathway for hospital discharge cases. Alternatively, Care and Repair England (and equivalent bodies in Wales) can provide practical help navigating the DFG application and managing the works.