Apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant

What is a Disabled Facilities Grant?

A Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a grant available to make your home more accessible. 

A DFG can fund adaptations to your home, such as a:

• level access shower
• stairlift
• permanent ramp
• ceiling track hoist
• through floor lifts

If you are receiving an income-related benefit, you are likely to be eligible for a DFG. A DFG won’t affect any benefits you get.

Who can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant?

You can apply for a DFG from Barnet if you’re disabled and need to make changes to your home. For example, if you have a:

• physical disability
• learning disability
• need relating to your age
• developmental disability, like autism
• cognitive impairment, like dementia
• progressive condition, like motor neurone disease
• terminal illness
• mental health condition

You can also apply for the DFG if you are:

• the owner of the property
• the landlord of the property
• a tenant of the property

The grant must be for the benefit of the person with a disability living in the property.

You will not get any grant if you start work on your property before the council approves your application.

How to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant

To apply for a DFG, you will need to have: 

1. an Occupational Therapy (OT) assessment
2. a financial assessment

Occupational Therapy assessment

To request an OT assessment, please contact Social Care Direct by: 

• emailing socialcaredirect@barnet.gov.uk
• calling 020 8359 5000
• writing to 2 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, London NW9 4EW

A member of our Occupational Therapy (OT) team will assess your needs. They will make recommendations for any works that are necessary and appropriate.

The OT team will then send a referral to the Grants team. The Grants team will do a financial assessment.

Financial assessment

A financial assessment decides how much you pay towards the work done to your home. If you are under 19, there is no means test.

You will be means tested twice by the Grants team to find out how much you could get. This will be:

• an informal means test
• a formal means test

The informal means test

The first means test is done informally by telephone. 

You will need to have details about your finances ready, such as your bank statements and savings. 

The informal means test will estimate how much you would have to contribute towards the cost of the work and allows you to decide if you want to continue with the grant application.

The formal means test

The second means test is more formal. This happens before the approval of the DFG application. 

You will need to provide documents to show your income and savings. This check will tell you the actual cost you need to contribute to the work.

Next steps

The grants team can organise the work that needs doing, like getting quotes and arranging builders. There is a charge for this service, but this is usually included in the grant.

You can also arrange and manage the building work yourself if you prefer.

When the grant will be paid

The grants team will check the work once it’s done. This is to make sure that the finished work meets the safety regulations and requirements of the OT assessment.

Once they are satisfied, the grants team will either pay:

• the building contractor directly
• back the money to you after you have given the council invoices and receipts for the contractors’ work

If the means test says you have to contribute to the work, you will be expected to pay your contribution first before any grant money is given.