The government has announced a new £50 million funding package to enable people with disabilities to secure home adaptations that better meet their needs.
Disabled people of all ages will be able to apply to their local authority and apply for a grant. The grants will be available to homeowners, private renters and those in social housing.
The new funding allocation will take the total Disabled Facilities Grant to £623 million, and will enable more people than ever before to access much needed equipment, such as wheelchair ramps, handrails, stairlifts and specialist equipment.
The Minister for Adult Social Care, Helen Whately, said the new funding for home adaptations will enable more people to live safely and independently in their own homes.
“If you’re older or living with a disability, a well-adapted home gives you independence and safety.
“Living in your own home can be impossible after illness or injury without changes like wheelchair ramps, handrails or a stairlift.
“This new funding will help thousands more people have homes fit for their needs – and faster. When time is of the essence, this fund will help local authorities do urgent and smaller-scale adaptations more quickly.
“Sometimes all that stands in the way of a patient going home from hospital is a simple home adaptation – so this is good news for patients and hospitals too. It’ll mean more people can recover from a hospital stay at home, and more NHS beds for patients who need them.”
The government says they will announce a further £52 million within the next two years to enable local authorities to provide additional services, make minor adaptations quickly and support speedier hospital discharge.
This will not only benefit the individual, but also the NHS as a whole, which currently cares for thousands of patients who are fit to be discharged, but are unable to be moved into their homes or the community due to a lack of social care provision.
This new funding will therefore free up hospital beds for those who needs them and reduce waiting times, which is particularly important as the health service approaches the winter months.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DLUHC, Felicity Buchan, said: “We want everyone to have high quality, safe and suitable homes so they can keep living more independently, including people leaving hospital care. This funding provides councils with additional resource to support those in need and builds on the funding already in place.”
