Mandatory - Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)

A ‘means-tested’ grant, to help meet the cost of adapting a property in which a disabled adult or child lives. Owner-occupiers and private tenants may apply for the grant for a disabled person in their household. A landlord may apply for the grant for an adaptation for their tenant.
We have removed the means test for works under £15,000

Discretionary - Disabled Facilities Grant (DDFG)

A discretionary grant for those applicants that do not qualify for the DFG.

• Fast track DDFG – no means test or contribution where cost of adaptation works will be less than £15,000.
• Maximum grant amount – increase grant for mandatory DFG, where costs will exceed £30,000.
• Hospital Discharge DDFG – Grant to support the return of hospital patients to their home.
• Independence at home grant

Health and Safety / Hospital Discharge Grant

Grant assistance for essential works of repair that remedy serious hazards that will seriously affect the health and/or safety of the occupant(s), and/or prevent them being discharged from hospital.

Home Security Grant

Discretionary grant assistance for the installation of approved domestic security measures
Relocation Grant
A grant to help applicants to move to more suitable accommodation.

Warm Home Grant

For the installation and maintenance of energy efficient/low carbon measures which directly improve, health, safety and well-being.
 

Warm Home Grant – Repair

To help those that cannot afford to pay for repairs to space heating systems that are out of warranty.

Eco Grant

A grant to make your home more energy efficient via installations such as solar water heating, photovoltaic cells, air source heat pumps.

Private sector landlords

 
Landlord Security Grant

To encourage landlords and freeholders to improve domestic security in their properties

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards Support Grant

To support landlords to improve the energy efficiency of properties to band C where the property has an existing energy performance certificate rating of band D to G.

Landlord Empty Property Grant

To increase the supply of residential accommodation by bringing empty properties back into use or the conversion of a dwelling to provide additional accommodation.

The amount of grant will depend on the financial circumstances of the disabled person for whom the adaptation is being carried out and this person’s husband, wife or partner.

We will give you more detailed advice and will carry out an initial check to give you an idea how much you may need to contribute towards the cost of the works. This is known as the ‘preliminary test of resources’.

The adaptations must meet the specific needs of the disabled person. Grant may be available if the Council’s Occupational Therapist (hyperlink to their page) recommends an adaptation. The proposed adaptations have to be reasonable and practicable in relation to the property.

Maximum Grant Amount : £30,000

• If the cost of the works is more than the grant, you may be able to apply for help with a discretionary grant.
• If repairs are also required to the dwelling being adapted, help may be available to apply for help through a Health and Safety Grant.

What type of work are eligible for assistance?

• Providing ramps, widening external/internal doors, shallow steps
• Adapting, or providing, suitable washing/bathing/showering/toilet facilities
• ensuring the disabled person can move around and access parts of the home so they can look after someone else
• facilitating the preparation of food and cooking in the kitchen
• installing ceiling track hoists
• installing a stair lift or a ‘through the floor’ lift
• providing access to gardens

A Disabled Facilities Grant is not available for the following.

• Council tenants (Council tenants should contact adult social care).
• The cost of the work or equipment is less than £1,000.
• Works are in excess of, or differ from, those recommended by Camden’s adult social care Occupational Therapist.

The grant is subject to funding availability.

The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 enables the approval of grants that will facilitate the use of mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs). It allows works to be done that enable the lives at home of disabled people or those likely to become disabled or infirm.

The discretionary policy means that the Council can determine the provision of DFGs subject to available funding through the following DDFG – Grant types:

Fast track DFG

Similar to the mandatory DFG, in that it is identical in terms of criteria and conditions, however, the requirement for a means test for a DFG will be removed in the following circumstances:

• Where the estimated cost of the adaptation works will be less than £15,000 (excluding any agency fees).
• If additional works are required after approval of the grant which would increase the cost of the works above £15,000, no retrospective means test would be applied.
• Hospital discharge in urgent/extreme circumstances where cases are identified by health and/or social care professional
• Where the disabled applicant suffers from a life-limiting condition and a formal means test would significantly delay the grant application. nd/or social care professionals.

Maximum grant amount

Increase the grant available for a mandatory DFG where the reasonable costs of the structural building works exceed £30,000 and the applicant has been assessed as having no contribution to make. This shall be limited to an additional £15,000.

Hospital discharge grant

• This grant supports the return of hospital patients to their home.
• The Hospital discharge grant will not be means tested.
• Funding will be available where no other relevant health or social care funding obtainable and following a referral from an OT or relevant healthcare professional.
• Example of interventions, but are not restricted to, are detailed below:
  • Decluttering
  • Deep cleaning
  • Clearing properties
  • Repairs to remove Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (that could impact applicant and/or their carers)
  • Repair of heating systems
• Grant limit of £4,500.

Independence at home grant

• A grant to supplement existing services where an unmet need is identified through dementia aids, adaptations and assistive technology. Examples of interventions, but are not restricted to, are detailed below:
• Assistive technology household items
  • Labels and signs on cupboards and doors
  • Safer flooring
  • Lighting adaptations
  • Tonal contrast adaptations
  • Furniture adaptations
• Funding will be subject to receiving a referral from an OT or relevant healthcare professional.
• Grant limit of £2,500

Grant assistance to encourage landlords and freeholders to improve domestic security in their properties.

Maximum Grant Amount

• £500 – per let for approved security measures
• £5,000 – per building for approved security measures

Whichever is the lesser amount;

Eligible Works for Approved Security Measures

• Works to provide a communal intercom door entry system.
• A video door entry system will also be considered. The system must extend to all lets within the building.
  • Window and door locks
  • Approved door viewers
  • Letterbox shrouds
  • London and Birmingham bars

At completion of the works Landlords also need to be a member of the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme.

Grant assistance to support landlords to improve the energy efficiency of properties to band C where the property has an existing energy performance certificate rating of band D to G.

Maximum grant

Match fund landlord contribution (excluding any other external funding), subject to a maximum of £10,000 per building.

Eligible works for MEES support grant

• Any works recommended via:
  • Valid energy performance certificate (EPC should be ideally no more than 24 months old); and/or
  • Through whole house PAS2035 retrofit plan (for properties where EPC is not required, e.g. House in Multiple Occupation). Any works to be overseen by a retrofit coordinator

At completion of the works Landlords also need to be a member of the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme.

Camden offers grants up to a maximum of £80,000

£15,000 – per bedsit and/or studio and/or one bedroom dwelling
£30,000 – per two bedroom single household dwelling
£40,000 – per three bedroom single household dwelling or larger
£80,000 – per building
Whichever is the lesser amount

You’re eligible for a grant once your property has been empty for 12 months.
Landlords will be expected to sign a nomination agreement to the council for 3 years

At completion of the works Landlords also need to be a member of the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme