This is a mandatory grant for works and adaptations to homes to improve access and allow disabled people to remain independent in their own home in Dorset.
All DFGs are delivered through the Dorset Accessible Homes Service. An additional £15,000 above the statutory maximum is offered (subject to funds being available, up to a maximum grant of £45,000).
Grant Conditions
This is a summary from the legislation relating to the conditions applying to DFGs under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.
For more detailed information refer to the Act and to any relevant regulations made under the Act.
Carrying out and Completion of works
The Council require as a condition of the grant that the eligible works are carried out in accordance with the specification that accompanied the Disabled Facilities Grant Approval.
It is a condition of the grant that the grant eligible works are carried out within twelve months from the date of approval of the application. This period may, however, be extended if the Council thinks fit, particularly where they are satisfied that the eligible works cannot be, or could not have been, carried out without carrying out other works which could not have been reasonably foreseen when the application was made.
The payment of a grant, or part of a grant is conditional on the eligible works being carried out to the satisfaction of the Council and the Council being provided with an acceptable invoice, demand or receipt for the repayment for the works and any preliminary or ancillary services or charges.
An invoice, demand or receipt will not be acceptable if it is given by the applicant or a member of the applicant’s family.
Unless the Council direct otherwise the eligible works must be carried out by the contractor whose estimate accompanied the application, or where two or more estimates were submitted, by one of those contractors.
In addition to eligible works as part of a disabled facilities grant, the following may also be considered as grant eligible works.
Works up to a value of £10,000 for the following:
- loft and cavity wall insulation.
- solid wall insulation
- boiler replacement or repair
- night storage heater replacement or upgrade to more efficient model
- first time gas central heating installation
- the provision of a sustainable form of heating such as air or ground source heating or similar
- any improvement or ancillary works associated with the installation of the above works.
The following conditions apply to works under the above paragraph.
- the maximum total DFG (including all eligible works for an adaptation, those listed above and including any fees) shall not exceed the maximum permitted DFG available at that time.
- works are not eligible under this clause unless they are made as part of an application, duly made, for a disabled facilities adaptation.
- the Council will review these additional eligibility criteria on 1st April 2023.
- it reserves the right to withdraw the additional eligible criteria immediately and at any time, prior to the formal approval of a disabled facilities grant.
- the type of installation provided shall be considered suitable for the disabled persons disability and where necessary an Occupational Therapist shall be consulted
Repayment of grant
In circumstances where the grant applicant has a qualifying owner’s interest in the premises on which the relevant works are to be carried out, the grant is for a sum exceeding £5,000 and the grant recipient disposes (whether by sale, assignment, transfer or otherwise) of the premises in respect of which the grant was given within 10 years of the certified date, the authority may recover the value of the grant aided works that exceed £5,000, but will not demand an amount in excess of £10,000.
In determining whether it is reasonable in all circumstances to require repayment the authority will consider:
- the extent to which the recipient of the grant would suffer financial hardship were he or she be required to repay any of the grant,
- whether the disposal of the premises is to enable the recipient of the grant to take up employment, or to change his or her employment,
- whether the disposal is made for reasons connected with the physical or mental health or well-being of the recipient of the grant or the disabled occupant of the premises, and;
- whether the disposal is made to enable the recipient of the grant to live with, or near, any person who is disabled or infirm and in need of care, which the recipient of the grant is intending to provide, or who is intending to provide care of which the recipient of the grant is in need by reason of disability or infirmity
Additional conditions
Insurance for grant-aided property
Where the applicant has an insurable interest in the grant-aided property, he shall arrange and maintain in effect adequate insurance for the property, subject to and with the benefit of the completed works, throughout the grant condition period.
Repair of grant-aided property.
Where the applicant has a duty or power to carry out works of repair to the grant-aided property, he shall ensure that, to the extent that his duty or power allows, the property remains fit for human habitation throughout the grant condition period.
Recovery of specialised equipment for the disabled.
Where an application for disabled facilities grant has been approved and the eligible works consist of or include the installation in the property of specialized equipment for the disabled occupant(s), the applicant shall notify the authority if and as soon as the equipment is no longer needed.
For the purposes of this condition:
- the authority shall, on approving the application, specify in writing the equipment to which this condition is to apply and the period (being a reasonable condition period for the equipment in question) during which it is to apply, and shall serve on the applicant a copy of such written specification; and
- the authority, or the social services authority on their behalf, shall be entitled, upon reasonable prior written notice given to the applicant either following the giving of the notification under sub-paragraph (a) or at any time during the condition period specified under paragraph (a), to inspect the equipment and, subject to complying with sub-paragraph (6.5.3), to remove it.
- the authority agrees within a reasonable time following an inspection of the equipment, to notify the applicant in writing whether the equipment is to be removed; and;
- if the equipment is to be removed, to remove it or arrange for it to be removed and forthwith to make good any damage caused to the property by its removal.
The authority further agrees, where the applicant has contributed to the cost of carrying out the eligible works, to pay to him, within a reasonable time of the removal of the equipment, the reasonable current value of that proportion of its original cost, which represents the proportion of his contribution to the cost of carrying out the eligible works.
For the purposes of sub-paragraph (6.5.4), the reasonable current value of the equipment shall be its value at the time of removal from the property.
Subject to the authority giving prior written notice in accordance with sub-paragraph (6.5.3(b)) the applicant agrees to afford, or to use his best endeavours to arrange for the affording of, reasonable access to the property to the authority for the purposes of inspection and removal of the equipment.
Repayment of grant
In the event of a breach of any of the additional conditions, the authority may demand repayment from the applicant of a sum equal to the amount of the grant paid or, as the case may be, any instalments of grant paid and the same shall become repayable to the authority in accordance with section 52 of the Act.
Repayment in cases of other compensation
Where the authority has approved an application for grant assistance and where the applicant receives payment on an insurance or damages claim in respect of the grant aided works, then they should repay to the authority the grant, so far as is appropriate out of the proceeds of any claim. The authority therefore requires that the applicant shall take reasonable steps to pursue any relevant claim to which this section applies, to notify the Council of that fact, and to repay the grant, so far as appropriate, out of the proceeds of such a claim.
The claims to which this applies are:
a) An insurance claim, or a legal claim against another person, in respect of damage to the premises to which the grant relates, or;
b) A legal claim for damages in which the cost of the works to premises to which the grant relates is part of the claim;
c) And a claim is a relevant claim to the extent that works to make good the damage mentioned in paragraph (a), or the cost of which is claimed as mentioned in paragraph (b), Are works to which the grant relates.
In the event of a breach of this condition, the applicant shall on demand pay to the local housing authority the amount of the grant so far as relating to any such works, together with compound interest as from such date as may be prescribed by or determined in accordance with the regulations, calculated at such reasonable rate as the authority may determine and with yearly rests.
The authority may determine not to make such a demand or to demand a lesser amount.
Note:
1. Grant conditions cannot be imposed on tenants, but may be imposed on the landlord if they are was required to provide a certificate of intended letting before the application from the tenant was entertained.
2. Grant applications related to movable structures used as accommodation such as caravans or boats will be considered eligible on a case by case basis.