If you need to make your home more accessible, or you need specialist equipment to help you manage day-to-day tasks more safely and easily, you might be entitled to financial help.
What’s in this guide
- Getting a care needs assessment
- Major or minor adaptations
- Minor adaptations and equipment – what help is available
- Funding major adaptations – the Disabled Facilities Grant
- Help from your local Home Improvement Agency
- Grants in Northern Ireland
- Help from charities
- Don’t forget to claim VAT relief
- Council Tax reduction
Getting a care needs assessment
You have the right to an assessment by your local authority if you need support with daily living because you’re:
- elderly
- disabled, or
- you have a long-term health condition.
If you haven’t already, contact your local council’s social services department to have your needs assessed.
If you live in: | Find out where you can get a care assessment: |
England and Wales | |
Scotland | |
Northern Ireland |
Major or minor adaptations
The financial help that’s available depends on whether the adaptations you need to make to your home are minor or major.
- Examples of minor adaptations include fitting lever taps in the kitchen, or handrails around the home.
- Examples of major adaptations include installing a downstairs shower room, widening doorways, or lowering the work tops in your kitchen.
If you need to adapt your home, you can apply to the council, or HSCNI, for equipment or help.
If you live in: | Apply for a home assessment: |
England | |
Wales | |
Scotland | |
Northern Ireland |
Minor adaptations and equipment – what help is available
If you live in England
Your local authority will normally provide you with disability equipment and small adaptations costing less than £1,000 free of charge. This is as long as you’ve been assessed as needing it and you qualify.
If you live in Wales
You might have to pay towards disability equipment and minor adaptations. But the amount you’re asked to pay must be reasonable and based on your financial circumstances.
If you live in Scotland
Your local council will normally provide you with essential equipment or adaptations costing less than £1,500 free of charge.
If you live in Northern Ireland
Your local trust will decide whether they’ll fund the equipment or minor adaptation, or whether you’ll have to pay for it yourself.
Funding major adaptations – the Disabled Facilities Grant
For more major adaptations to make your home accessible, you’ll normally have to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
These are paid by your local authority – or Local Housing Executive if you live in Northern Ireland.
Do you qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant
You can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant if your local authority is satisfied that the work you’re having done is necessary and appropriate for your needs.
This usually involves an assessment by an occupational therapist.
The grants are means-tested – unless you’re applying for a disabled child under the age of 17. So the local authority will take into account any income and savings you and your partner have.
How much can you get ?
The maximum amount you can get for a Disabled Facilities Grant depends on where in the UK you live.
England | £30,000 |
Wales | £36,000 |
Scotland | This particular grant isn’t available. Find out more at Disability Rights UK |
Northern Ireland | £35,000 – £70,000 |
How to claim a Disabled Facilities Grant
Find out how to claim a Disabled Facilities Grants at GOV.UK
In Northern Ireland, find out more about Disabled Facilities Grants on the nidirect website
Help from your local Home Improvement Agency
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to getting funding, planning the work and employing tradespeople – Home Improvement Agencies can ease a lot of the worry.
They can help in a variety of ways, including:
- getting quotes
- drawing up plans for the work
- visiting your home and giving advice
- checking what financial help you might qualify for.
They also publish a list of trusted tradespeople on their website.
For more information, including how to find your local Home Improvement Agency, go to the Foundations websiteOpens in a new window
Grants in Northern Ireland
If you live in Northern Ireland, there are a number of grants available to improve or adapt your home.
For details of the funding available, see the Housing Executive website
Help from charities
If you’re unable to secure funding elsewhere, there are a surprising number of charities that might be able to help.
For example, for help with building work and equipment for disabled people, visit the Edward Gostling Foundation website
And check out the Turn2us website – a free service that helps people gain access to welfare benefits, grants and other help.
Find out more in our guide Charitable grants for ill or disabled people
Don’t forget to claim VAT relief
If you’re disabled, any building work you do to adapt your home might be zero-rated for VAT.
Find out more about VAT exemptions on building work on the GOV.UK website
Council Tax reduction
If the adaptations you’re having done to your home push your property into a higher Council Tax band, you might be entitled to a discount on your Council Tax.
This is called the ‘Disabled Band Reduction Scheme’.
This article is provided by the Money Advice Service.