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Disabled Facilities Grant

A Disabled Facilities Grant could help pay for necessary changes to your home - such as stair lifts, so you can continue to live independently.

If you have a disability, you may be able to get a grant. Your council will base this on your circumstances.

Your income and savings will affect the level of grant you could get.

For more information on Disabled Facilities Grants and other help that your local authority may provide for repairs, improvements and adaptations, please visit our 'Disabled people section'.

Local authorities also have wide discretionary powers to provide help towards repairs, improvements and adaptations.

This assistance may take the form of a grant, loan or releasing some of the value of your home, or more practical help such as information and advice on repairs.

• Disabled Facilities Grant (disabled people section)

• Find out more about Disabled Facilities Grants (disabled people section)

Home Improvement Agencies

If you are a homeowner or tenant of a private landlord, Home Improvement Agencies (sometimes known as 'Care and Repair' or 'Staying Put' agencies) will advise you on how to adapt, repair, improve and maintain your home.

This includes a review of the housing options open to you, including whether you are entitled to any help, welfare benefits, technical matters and other support services that you may need to help you stay in your own home.

For details of your local Home Improvement Agency, please call Foundations on 08458 645210 for England or Care and Repair Cymru on 029 2057 6286 for Wales. The lines are open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.

Low-cost loans

For more information about low-cost loans for homeowners from the Home Improvement Trust, please visit their website, or call them on 0800 783 7569 for England and Wales. The line is open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.

• Home Improvements Agency Opens new window

• The Home Improvement Trust - Houseproud scheme Opens new window

Help from your local council for home repairs and adaptation

Local authorities have a great deal of flexibility and freedom in providing discretionary assistance for repairs and adaptations. It is also for the local authority to decide the circumstances in which to give discretionary assistance, what form that assistance may take (eg, grants, loans, equity release schemes etc) and what, if any, conditions to attach.

The local authority will be able to tell you what policies they have in place to address private sector renewal in your area.

Other housing assistance

Your local council is also able to provide other sorts of assistance. For example, they could move you to more suitable living accommodation if they were satisfied that it would provide a similar benefit to improving or adapting your existing accommodation.

They may also give discretionary assistance in addition to the mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant.

Any assistance given must be in accordance with the council's published policy on housing renewal.

For further information, contact the environmental health or housing department of your local council.

• More about the Disabled Facilities Grant (disabled people section)

• Adapting your home (disabled people section)

Useful contacts

• Home and community contacts