Pembrokeshire Housing Financial Assistance Policy
Categories of adaptations
on this page:
Small adaptations i.e. works equal to or less than £1,000
Medium adaptations i.e. works equal to or less than £7,000.
Large adaptations – Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant
Council property small adaptations
Council property medium/large adaptation
The Welsh Government’s Housing Adaptations Service Standards define the type of work involved within each category of small, medium, or large adaptations dependent on the extent of work required. The guidance states that while medium and large adaptations are funded through DFGs and subject to a means test, small adaptations tend to be delivered differently utilising some Enable grant finding from Welsh Government as well as the Council’s own capital programme funding.
Minor adaptations in the private sector within Pembrokeshire tend to be delivered via referral through our partners in Care and Repair. Since 2022, when the Financial Assistance policy was last reviewed, means testing for small and medium adaptations was removed, and this has resulted in significant increase in demand and pressure for this level of adaptations., therefore the proposed changes will have implications for the means test for medium grants.
Minor aids and adaptations
Minor: where works identified as RRAPS (Aids & Adaptations) – less than or equal to £350
- Grab rails
- Stair rails
- Accessible taps
- 'Mop stick' handrails
- Wall mounted shower seat
- External/straircase lights
- Additional electrical sockets
Small adaptations i.e. works equal to or less than £1,000
Small: where works identified as less than or equal to £1,000
- Grab rails/'mop stick' handrails
- Lever taps
- Minor ramping systems where building control and planning is not required
- Replacement shower seats
- Level access thresholds, adaptation to steps
- A combination of adapations installed as one job providing that works costs less than £1,000
Medium adaptations i.e. works equal to or less than £7,000.
Where applicants are in receipt of a statutory hardship benefit or where their condition is a progressive or terminal one and where they are receiving palliative care, it is proposed that an offer of 100% grant will be given up to a maximum of £7,000. In all other instances applicants will be offered match funding up to a maximum grant of £3,500.
Who is eligible?
Owner occupiers or Private tenants
- Owner occupiers: (must be a freeholder or leaseholder with at least 10 years of the lease remaining and the dwelling must be their only and main residence.
- Private tenants: any tenant may apply for assistance (subject to landlord consent).
Eligible works/costs
- Handrails/ramped access, where building control and planning not required.
- Level access thresholds, adaptation to steps.
- Installation of level access shower.
- Stair lifts
- Wash dry toilet or similar.
- A combination of adaptations installed as one job providing that works costs less than £7,000.
This list is not exhaustive but should be used as an example only e.g., internal, and external handrails, ramped access, installation of straight stair lift, door entry systems, installation of level access shower, replacement shower seats, shower units, or installation of wash dry toilet, bio bidet or similar or combination.
Applicants' financial contribution
If applicants in receipt of qualifying statutory benefit, or where they are receiving palliative care, the maximum grant available will be £7,000.
For those applicants who do not fit into the above categories, the Council will provide a contribution of 50% towards the cost of the provision of the recommended adaptation works up to a maximum eligible expense of £7,000 e.g., cost of works £4,000, grant aid £2,000, cost of works £7,000, grant aid £3,500 maximum.
If, following commencement of works, unforeseen works become evident, then discretion is to be given to the Head of Housing and Public Protection to increase the availability of funding to those hardship/palliative cases up to a maximum of £10,000 in any one instance. Applicants would in turn need to be advised of any increase in the charge applied to their property.
Maximum level of assistance
£7,000 for those in receipt of a qualifying statutory benefit
For those not on benefit a 50% contribution towards works will be allowed up to a maximum of £7,000 total works costs.
General conditions
Applicants must reside at the property where the works are to be carried out.
Scheduled works should be carried out within six months of the date of approval, unless circumstances are such that this cannot be achieved, and agreement has been reached with the Senior Adaptations Officer to issue an extension of time to achieve satisfactorily completion of all relevant works.
When applying for grant assistance the applicants will be required to sign a certificate of future occupation whereby, throughout the grant condition period of 10 years, the applicant or a member of their immediate family shall certify their intention to occupy the property as his/her only or main residence.
or
If the applicant is a landlord, that he/she intends to let the dwelling as a residence to someone unconnected with him/her and agrees with the works.
Under the terms of the Regulatory Reform Order (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales Order 2002), Pembrokeshire County Council will place a local land charge on a property following completion of works in cases of Owner Occupation where applicants have not contributed towards the cost of the works. In those cases where the applicant did not contribute towards the cost of the scheme, the local land charge will be 50% of the amount paid. The charge will remain in place for 10 years following certified completion. If the conditions are breached i.e., the property is sold or transferred, the sum of grant paid will be recovered in full by the local authority.
Delegated authority is vested in the Head of Public Protection and Housing (or equivalent) to waive the requirement to repay within the condition period in certain justifiable cases.
Applications to be restricted to the ability to apply for assistance every two years, unless there has been a change in the assessed medical need which is to be supported by an Occupational Therapist report. This does not prohibit them from applying for a Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant.
Landlords: where a tenant makes an application for an adaptation, the landlords must be, or will be, a freeholder of leaseholder with at least 10 years of the lease remaining and the dwelling(s) is/are to be let on a permanent residential basis and not a holiday home.
A disabled person may make an application for grant even if they fall outside the definitions above; each individual circumstance will be considered for grant assistance subject to an assessment of need from an Occupational Therapist, Occupational Therapist Assistant or Trusted Assessor and on application for grant.
Any discretionary disabled assistance will only be considered having regard to the resources available to the Authority at that time. If it does not have sufficient resources, the Authority reserves the right not to approve applications at any time.
Large adaptations – Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant
Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant for Medium to Large work
- Large: where works identified are between 7k and 36k
Who is eligible?
Owner occupiers or Private tenants
Before awarding the grant, the Council will need to satisfy itself that the proposed adaptations are "necessary and appropriate" to meet the disabled persons’ needs. This will be based on a recommendation following an Occupational Therapy assessment.
Eligible works
- Level access showers/Wet room adaptations/Major bathroom adaptations.
- Large scale ramping, level access paving
- Curved stairlifts, through floor lifts, external lifts
- Significant internal structural alterations e.g., widening doorways, kitchen adaptations.
- Building an extension to provide a downstairs bedroom and/or bathroom.
- Ceiling track hoists
- Combination of adaptations installed as one job
Applicant's financial contribution
All applications for medium to large adaptations to be considered as a DFG. As such a test of resources will apply to all relevant individuals unless the identified works are for a child or where the applicant is in receipt of a qualifying statutory passported benefit.
Maximum level of grant assistance
The maximum amount of mandatory grant that the Authority can pay for in any single grant application is set by Order and is currently set at £36,000. This amount is reduced by any contribution assessed as payable by the grant application under a test of resources.
Occupation conditions
The disabled person must occupy the property as their only and main residence for a period of 10 years following certified completion. All formal applications must be accompanied by a relevant certificate signed by the applicant to that effect.
The conditions are set out in the Grant Conditions section of this policy.
Exemptions to the requirement to repay may apply in certain circumstances.
Pembrokeshire County Council, in the role of local housing authority, is under statutory duty by virtue of the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (the Act) to provide Disabled Adaptations Grants (DFG’s) for private sector residential adaptations where the appropriate legislative conditions are met.
The purposes for which a DFG may be given are set out in the Act and can be summarised as follows:
- Getting in and out of the property
- Making the property safe/safer for everyone living there
- Access to the living room
- Access to a bedroom
- Access to a bath or shower
- Access to a toilet
- Access to a wash hand basin
- Preparing and cooking food
- Improving or providing heating if needed by the disabled person
- Controlling power, lights, and heating
- Access around the property to care for someone else.
- Access to the garden
To approve DFG’s officers of the Authority will work with the Occupational Therapy Service at Pembrokeshire County Council and others such as NHS OT’s and independent OT’s who hold a current registration with RCOT (Royal College of Occupational Therapists).
The OT service will make referrals to Pembrokeshire County Council Adaptations team recommending work to be carried out that are necessary and appropriate to meet the needs of the disabled person. The Authority will approve a grant if, amongst other things such financial eligibility, it is satisfied that the works are reasonable and practical to be carried out.
Council property small adaptations
The Council property small adaptations scheme provides minor adaptations to in our Council Tenants’ homes. The works will be carried out by internal council operatives or an external contractor.
Who is eligible?
Council tenants
Eligible works/costs
- Internal and external handrails
- Lever taps
- Small ramps to aid access to reduce the risk of slips and falls.
- Key safes
- PIR light
- Door entry systems
- Stairlift Repairs
- Replacement shower seats
- Replacement shower heads/anti-scald
- Installation of electrical sockets for community alarm system
Applicant's financial contribution
No means test applies to council tenants.
Maximum level of financial assistance
£3,000
General conditions
Applicants must reside at the property where the works are to be carried out.
Applicants may self-refer for this form of assistance. An Occupational Therapy assessment may not be required, although this will need to be discussed with the OT service.
Council property medium/large adaptation
Who is eligible?
Council tenants
Eligible works/costs
Before commissioning any work, the Council will need to satisfy itself that the proposed adaptations are "necessary and appropriate" to meet the disabled persons’ needs. This will be based on a recommendation following an Occupational Therapy assessment.
- Bathroom adaptations
- Stairlifts
- Ceiling Track hoists
- Large ramps
- Through floor lifts
- Internal alterations
- Extensions
- Or a combination of more than one adaptation
Applicant's financial contribution
No means test applies to council tenants.
Maximum level of financial assistance
There is no maximum level of assistance however, where the cost of works exceeds £36,000, consideration will be given to the most cost-effective solution to meeting the needs of the tenant. This could include possible rehousing through the Choice Homes Accessible Housing Register to a more appropriate property within the social housing stock.
General conditions
Applicants must have a right to reside at the property where the works are to be carried out.
If the applicant is on the Housing Register for alternative accommodation, then only minor adaptations will be permitted.