Disabled Facilities grant - bathroom question

April · August 2019

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me. My son had an accessible bathroom fitted about 10 years ago. He had a very good shower fitted..one of the most expensive kind. But now this shower needs replacing. I'm just wondering...does he need to pay for the replacement? Or could he get a grant to replace it? He only has his benefits, so it would be impossible for him to afford. Thanks for any advice.

April2018mom · August 2019

Hello!
We are in the process of having a accessible shower fitted. I think that you can use the funds to pay for any type of home adaption. Contact your local council. Does he get DLA or not? For more details, see this page https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants

April · August 2019

April2018mom said:

Hello!
We are in the process of having a accessible shower fitted. I think that you can use the funds to pay for any type of home adaption. Contact your local council. Does he get DLA or not? For more details, see this page https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants

Thanks. I should have mentioned that the shower he currently has was provided via a Disabled Facilities Grant. Now it needs replacing because it's old and not working properly. I'm just wondering if he can get another grant to replace the original shower. I can't find that information anywhere online. But there must be lots of people whose showers etc. need replacing.

buzzer · August 2019

I would say yes a new grant should cover repair but probably they will replace with new unit

https://www.foundations.uk.com/dfg-adaptations/dfg-regulations/dfg-q-and-a/

Contact Adaptions team at your Local council

mossycow · September 2019

You just need a new grant. We were told to just contact adaptions folks at local council.

Hope it goes well.

Sam_Alumni · September 2019

We have some information about Disabled facilities Grants here.

Disabled Facilities Grant for home adaptations

For the purposes of a Disabled Facilities Grant, a disabled person is someone who:

Has a sight, hearing or substantial speech impairment
Has a learning difficulty, severe challenging behaviours, a mental health disorder or impairment of any kind
Is substantially physically disabled by illness, injury or impairment
Is, or could be, registered with the social services department as being disabled

Who can apply for a DFG

You must be:

An owner-occupier
A private tenant
A landlord with a disabled tenant
A local authority tenant
A housing association tenant

The disabled person or a parent, guardian or foster parent might apply on behalf of a disabled child. The adaptations must meet the specific needs of the disabled person. Usually an occupational therapist will carry out the assessment. Proposed adaptations must be reasonable and practicable.

What kind of help can a DFG provide

Such help may be:

a grant
a loan
materials
labour
advice
or any mix of the above.

Local authorities may also provide additional adaptations. For example:

Welfare: Access to a garden or safe play area for a disabled child.
Accommodation: Making a property bigger even if it is already suitable for a disabled person.
Employment: Adapting a room for a disabled person to work from home.

What adaptations a DFG will fund

A DFG aims to ensure the disabled person has adequate facilities and access around the home.

Examples include:

providing ramps, widening doors, shallow steps
improving controls for heating and lighting
adapting or providing suitable washing, bathing or toilet facilities
ensuring the disabled person can move around and access parts of the home so they can look after someone else
facilitating the preparation of food and cooking in the kitchen
making sure there is access to a shared family room
ensuring access to, or providing, a room to sleep in
providing a safer environment for the disabled person and others living in the home
installing a stair lift or a ‘through the floor’ lift
creating an extension to meet the needs of the disabled person

The DFG means test

The means test determines how much, if anything, you will have to pay towards the cost of the work. If you are a disabled adult, you must provide financial and benefits information for you and your partner. There is no means testing for families of disabled children under 18.

Certain benefits including Disability Living Allowance and Income Support are generally ignored.
Savings over £6,000 will be taken into account.
Depending on the assessment, the amount of financial assistance offered can vary up to 100% of the cost.

Plans and specifications

For major work, it’s advisable to involve a qualified architect or surveyor. Their fees can be included in the cost of the work needed.

You will need at least 2 estimates.
You must submit your grant application with all relevant documents.
The local authority must give a decision within 6 months and tell you what your financial contribution, if any, will be.

Apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant (GOV.UK)