Disabled Facilities Grant: how to apply (up to £30,000)

A Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a council grant of up to £30,000 in England to adapt the home of a disabled person, for example a stairlift, level-access shower, ramp or downstairs bedroom. You apply to your local council, an occupational therapist usually assesses what is needed, and adults face a means test while disabled children do not. The council must give a decision within 6 months.

In short

• Maximum mandatory grant: £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales and up to £35,000 in Northern Ireland (up to £70,000 in some cases). Scotland uses a different scheme.
• Owners, private and council tenants, housing association tenants and landlords can all apply.
• Adults are means-tested on household income and on savings above £6,000. Parents’ income is ignored for a disabled child under 18.
• The disabled person must intend to live in the home for the grant period, usually 5 years.
• Do not start work before approval: the council may refuse to pay anything.
• A DFG does not affect any benefits, and qualifying building work for a disabled person is zero-rated for VAT.

What a Disabled Facilities Grant can pay for

The grant is for work that helps a disabled person get into and around their home and use its basic facilities. GOV.UK examples include:

• widening doors and installing ramps or grab rails;
• a stairlift, through-floor lift or level-access shower;
• improving access to and from the garden;
• building an extension, such as a ground-floor bedroom or bathroom;
• a suitable heating system, and adapted heating or lighting controls that are easier to use.

It covers a wide range of people, not only wheelchair users: those with age-related frailty, dementia, learning disabilities, autism, progressive conditions such as motor neurone disease, terminal illness and mental health conditions. Smaller items such as grab rails, toilet frames and minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less are often provided free by the council’s adult social care team without a DFG. Our guide to free equipment and OT assessments explains that route, and home adaptations for disability covers the options more widely.

How much you can get across the UK

Who can apply

You can apply if you, or someone who lives with you, is disabled and you are the owner, a tenant (private, council or housing association) or a landlord with a disabled tenant. The council must be satisfied that the work is:

• necessary and appropriate to meet the disabled person’s needs; and
• reasonable and practicable given the age and condition of the property.

The disabled person must intend to live in the property throughout the grant period, usually 5 years. A shorter period can be accepted, for example if they are terminally ill.

Tenants and landlords

Tenants can apply in their own name, but they will need the landlord’s written permission for the work. Landlords can apply on behalf of a disabled tenant, and in that case the landlord’s income and savings are not considered. If the tenant leaves within 5 years, the council may require the landlord to let the property to another disabled person. Council and housing association tenants are often directed to their landlord’s own adaptations budget first, so ask your housing officer early.

The means test

For adults, the council carries out a test of resources on the disabled person and their partner. It looks at weekly income against an allowance for living costs, and at savings above £6,000. The result is the amount you are expected to contribute; the grant pays the rest, up to the maximum.

In practice, people on certain means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit guarantee credit, Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Housing Benefit, usually pass automatically and pay nothing. There is no means test where the grant is for a disabled child or young person under 18.

Worked example

Margaret, 82, owns her home and has had two falls on the stairs. An OT recommends a stairlift and a level-access shower, quoted together at £11,500. Her only income is the State Pension and a small private pension, and she has £9,000 in savings. The council’s means test works out a contribution of £1,800, so the DFG pays £9,700. Had Margaret been on Pension Credit guarantee credit, she would have had nothing to pay. Our falls prevention guide covers other quick changes.

How to apply, step by step

1. Contact adult social care (or children’s services for a child) and ask for an occupational therapy assessment for adaptations. Some councils let you apply through GOV.UK’s online “Apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant” page, which routes you to your council.
2. OT assessment. An occupational therapist or trained assessor visits, looks at how the person manages, and recommends what is necessary and appropriate.
3. Means test and quotes. The council’s housing or home improvement team checks finances and helps obtain plans and quotes. Many councils use a home improvement agency to manage this.
4. Formal application and approval. Once the full application is in, the council must decide within 6 months.
5. Work and payment. Work must normally be finished within 12 months of approval. The council pays in instalments or in full on completion, often directly to the contractor.

Planning permission and building regulations approval are separate, though the council will usually help. If an architect or surveyor is needed, their fees can be included in the grant.

Timescales in practice

The 6-month limit only starts when the formal application is complete. Waits for an OT assessment can add months before that, so ask to be prioritised if there is a high risk of falls or someone is waiting to leave hospital. Our guide to care after hospital discharge explains how adaptations fit in.

Top-ups, discretionary help and repayment

Under the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002, councils can publish a housing assistance policy that offers more than the mandatory grant. Common examples include:

• discretionary top-ups where costs exceed £30,000;
• fast-track grants for stairlifts or showers with no means test;
• help with moving to a more suitable home instead of adapting the current one;
• relaxing the means test for people with terminal illness.

Check your council’s policy. If the grant to an owner-occupier exceeds £5,000, the council may register a local land charge. If the home is sold within 10 years, the council can ask for repayment of the amount above £5,000, up to a maximum of £10,000, but must consider hardship and the reason for the move first.

VAT relief on adaptations

Building work to adapt a home for a disabled or chronically sick person, such as ramps, widening doorways, lifts and adapted bathrooms or toilets, is zero-rated for VAT. So are stairlifts and many disability products, and their installation. Being elderly alone does not qualify. You sign a written declaration for the supplier. This matters most when you pay part of the cost yourself or fund work privately.

Scotland

Scotland has no DFG. Councils give grants for essential adaptations under a local Scheme of Assistance after an OT assessment. Homeowners typically receive 80% of the eligible cost, and 100% if they get certain means-tested benefits, with no fixed upper limit. Council and housing association tenants go through their landlord.

Mistakes to avoid

• Ordering a stairlift privately before applying. Work started before approval is unlikely to be funded.
• Assuming savings rule you out. Only savings above £6,000 count, and only for adults.
• Not asking about the council’s discretionary policy when quotes exceed £30,000.
• Forgetting that a carer’s needs matter too. A carer’s assessment can support the case for a downstairs bathroom.

Adaptations often go hand in hand with home care. Our guide to what a home carer can do explains the practical help available, and the funding checker shows other help, including PIP and Attendance Allowance.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Disabled Facilities Grant?

In England a Disabled Facilities Grant pays up to £30,000 for adaptations. The maximum is £36,000 in Wales and up to £35,000 in Northern Ireland (up to £70,000 in some cases). Scotland does not have DFGs and uses its own adaptation grants. In England and Wales, councils can award more than the maximum through a discretionary policy, and adults may have to pay a contribution depending on the means test.

Is the Disabled Facilities Grant means tested?

Yes for adults. The council looks at the disabled person’s and partner’s income and any savings above £6,000 to work out a contribution. People on means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit guarantee credit or Universal Credit usually pay nothing. There is no means test when the grant is for a disabled child under 18, and landlords’ finances are not assessed.

How long does a Disabled Facilities Grant take?

The council must give a decision within 6 months of receiving a full application, and the work must usually be completed within 12 months of approval. Waiting for an occupational therapy assessment can add time before the application is complete, so ask for priority if there is a high risk of falls or a hospital discharge.

Can I get a Disabled Facilities Grant if I rent?

Yes. Private, council and housing association tenants can apply, but need the landlord’s permission for the work. A landlord can also apply on behalf of a disabled tenant, and the landlord’s income is not assessed. Council and housing association tenants are often helped through the landlord’s own adaptations budget, so speak to the housing officer first.

Does a Disabled Facilities Grant have to be paid back?

Usually not. But if an owner-occupier receives more than £5,000, the council can register a local land charge. If the home is sold within 10 years, it may ask for repayment of the amount over £5,000, capped at £10,000, after considering hardship and the reasons for moving. Check your council’s policy before work begins.

Can I get a stairlift with a Disabled Facilities Grant?

Yes. Stairlifts and through-floor lifts are among the most common DFG adaptations, along with level-access showers and ramps. An occupational therapist must agree it is necessary and appropriate. Do not buy one before the council approves the grant, as work started early may not be funded. Stairlifts for disabled people are also zero-rated for VAT.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants
• GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants – what you’ll get
• GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants – eligibility
• GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants – how to apply
• GOV.UK: VAT relief for disabled people
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: DFG decision 21 009 149
• Scottish Government: Funding adaptations to the home – homeowners
• legislation.gov.uk: Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996

General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures for 2026/27, checked October 2026.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 29 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.