Apply for a Disability Facilities Grant

A financial assessment (also known as a means test) may be required to access a Disabled Facilities Grant. The Occupational Therapist will be able to put you in contact with a Council officer who can discuss your financial details informally and give you an idea of any possible financial charges, or whether you are eligible for full grant funding of any work.

Discretionary funding (known as discretionary grants) may be available for people in some situations or financial circumstances. Details about discretionary grants are set out in Appendix B of our Housing Assistance Policy. Please contact Solihull Connect Adult Social Care and ask to speak to our Occupational Therapy team who can give you more information about these grants.

If you are in receipt of a means-tested benefit, for example, Universal Credit, or if the work is for a child or young person under the age of 19 where child benefit is received - you will not have to make any contribution towards the cost of the work.

Once any relevant financial assessment has been carried out and you have agreed that you would like to proceed, drawings will be prepared based on the most suitable adaptation to your home where these are needed.

Planning permission and/or building regulations approval may be needed and will be completed by the Aids and Adaptations team at Solihull Community Housing.

If you would prefer to make your own arrangements for an adaptation, including funding the work privately, our partners Solihull Community Housing can provide support and advice.

Before the grant can be approved all the paperwork needs to be in place. Solihull Community Housing can support you through this process, including:

• the application forms
• proof of ownership for your home
• plans agreed by you and the Occupational Therapist
• estimate(s)
• Planning Permission/Building Regulations approval (where needed)

Before building work commences there will be a site visit with you and the building company. At this meeting, you should be given an approximate start date and it will be an opportunity to ask any of the questions that you may have about the work and how it will move forwards.

If a grant is approved for more than £5000, it may be repayable in certain circumstances such as your moving house. This would be done by placing what is called a ‘Local Land Charge’ on the property. This charge would stay in place for 10 years from the date the works are completed at your property and would only need to be repaid if you decide to sell the property during this time, subject to the Council’s discretion.

The table below gives you some examples of the amounts you might expect to repay: