Fighting to get help to make home more accessible for my child

Gemw1 · April 2018

I have a child with very complex needs he is unmobile at the moment I'm fighting to get changes done to my home to make it more accessible to him our local council aren' very helpful what they have come up with does not work for us or my child is there anywhere like a cerebral palsy foundation out there that may help we simply don' have the funds. All the charities I've looked at provide grants for particular things only.

Lasian_Alumni · April 2018

Hi @Gemw1, welcome to the community

I'm sorry to hear that your local council hasn't been very helpful, it must be very frustrating. Have you had a look at our grants search tool? You might be able to find some options that would work for you.

@Jean_Scope, do you have any advice?

Jean_OT · April 2018

Hi @Gemw1

Welcome to the community.

Are you in the UK? If so the scheme you are most likely already dealing with is Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)

https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/disabled-facilities-grant

DFG's are limited in what they will fund and the Occupational Therapist (OT) involved is obliged to try to address the needs assessed during the DFG visit by the most cost effective means possible. If you can identify/evidence alternatives that would work better that are still within the criteria of the DFG you can try negotiating or if necessary use their complaints procedure. However, if ultimately you decide to refuse what they are offering then you will most likely be looking at having to self-fund the home adaptations yourself.

There are a few charities that will consider giving grants towards the cost of housing adaptations

https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/search-grants

but normally this tends to be for 'topping up' DFG's when major works exceed the amount allowable for DFG.

Sorry I don't have better news to share

Jean

Fighting to get help to make home more accessible for my child

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