What is a Disabled Facilities Grant?
The grant is intended to help people with disabilities to live
in their home and, wherever possible to ease the task of their
carers. A wide variety of adaptation or improvement works can be
considered for Disabled Facilities Grant and each enquiry will be
assessed individually by Copeland Borough Council in conjunction
with Cumbria Social Services.
Who can qualify?
Provided the works are necessary to meet the needs of a disabled
person, owner occupiers and tenants are eligible to make an
application for Disabled Facilities Grant. However, to be able to
qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant, it is desirable that your
property is in good repair.
What works qualify?
A wide range of works can be eligible for grant aid provided
they satisfy all or part of the criteria listed below:
- they help improve the access to & from the dwelling
- they help to improve the access to a living room, bedroom or
bathroom
- improve kitchen arrangements
- improve inadequate heating system
- improve the use of power controls
- they help to improve mobility around the dwelling to enable
caring for another person
- they provide additional or more suitable accessible sanitary
facilities
How much assistance can I get?
The amount of grant will depend on a confidential Test of
Resources of the disabled person and their spouse or partner and
the eligible cost of the works. Therefore, depending upon your
financial circumstances grant assistance may vary from 0% to 100%.
The maximum grant is £30,000. There is no Test of
Resources when the grant is for a child.
How do I apply?
The first step is to contact your Occupational Therapist at the
Social Services Department. If you do not have an Occupational
Therapist your GP can refer you.
The Occupational Therapist will discuss your needs and
requirements with you and will decide whether or not to support
your case. We will then assess the information supplied by the
Occupational Therapist and decide whether you are eligible to make
a formal application for a grant.
What happens next?
If you are eligible, the council will send you
an application pack to complete, please let us know if you would
like some help completing the forms, if you can’t get to the
Copeland Centre an officer will come and visit you. Once all
the forms have been completed the grants officer will assess your
application to see if you are eligible for a Disabled Facilities
Grant. If you are, the Occupational Therapist and a Technical
Officer from the Council will come and visit you and identify the
works needed to your property. Once this has been done the
technical officer will write a schedule of works which outlines
what work is required. This is then sent to two builders of your
choice so they can provide quotes, we can help you with this if you
wish. Once quotes have been received the Council will assess
them and decide which contractor to use. Only then will you
receive formal approval. Once you have received formal
written approval you can let the contractor know and arrange a date
for the works to start.
DO NOT START
WORK UNTIL YOU HAVE FORMAL WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM THE COUNCIL.
GRANT ASSISTANCE CANNOT BE APPROVED FOR WORKS ALREADY
COMPLETED.
Zero rating of VAT on building alterations for
handicapped person(s)
VAT need not be paid on some of the work carried out to suit the
need of a disabled person. Zero rating applies to a very wide range
of goods and services for the disabled, but in general the types of
work which it is likely to apply in the case of grant aided
adaptations are set out below.
- the construction of ramps or widening doorways for the purpose
of facilitating the disabled persons entry to or movement within
the building, including any preparatory work or making good.
- the installation of a lift for the purpose of facilitating the
movement of a disabled person between floors of the building.
Repair and maintenance of a lift are also zero rated.
- the providing, extending or adapting of a bathroom, washroom or
lavatory, where such provision, extension or adaptation is
necessary by reason of the disabled persons condition. In addition,
other works essential to the provision of these facilities can be
zero rated.
Once the work has been identified and you have received
formal written approval from the Council, work to the property can
start.