How to pay for adaptations to your home

Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) are available to people who are finding it harder to do things at home. This grant can be used to make changes (adaptations) to your home and to buy equipment to help you to live as independently and safely as possible. For example, you may be able to apply for a DFG if you find it difficult to:

move around your home or climb the stairs
get in and out of the bath
prepare food

What is a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)?

A Disabled Facilities Grant is a grant from Care & Repair Newcastle at Newcastle City Council. It is used to pay for essential adaptations to your home, including improving:

access to your home: such as widening doors and installing ramps
access inside your home: for example, installing a stair lift, a hoist, an accessible bathroom or wet room
heating and lighting controls
or provide a specially adapted room where you can be comfortable and manage things without needing help

See Equipment and Aids for more details on different types of adaptations and support available.

Care & Repair Newcastle at Newcastle City Council is a home improvement agency. They help people to adapt their homes who are unable to do so themselves. They support disabled people, older people and vulnerable people to live independently and safely at home for longer. To use this service you will need to meet their eligibility criteria. This may also be means tested. If you are eligible for support they can help you to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and loan equipment. Contact them for more information.

Can I apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant?

To apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant you or the person you are applying for must:

be the homeowner or rent the house from a private landlord
plan to live in the property for at least 5 years
need a major adaptation to be able to live in your own home safely and with dignity.

How much may I receive?

How much you may receive depends on your finances and if you receive certain benefits. If you are on a low income, the grant may cover all or some of the costs of the work.

Contact Care & Repair Newcastle for more information.

Applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant

Contact Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council if you think you may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant. They can arrange for you to have a needs assessment to find out what help is available to you. They can also offer advice and support to help you.

Care & Repair Newcastle can help you to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grants, if you are eligible for this support.

Newcastle Council Housing tenants can contact the Adaptations Team.

What if I’m not eligible for a grant?

If you’re not eligible for a disabled facilities grant, there are other services that can help you with:

paying for adaptations to your home privately
buying the right equipment for you
borrowing equipment
hiring equipment
grants or funding to buy equipment
support at home

Financial help from charities

Citizens Advice Newcastle has information on charities that can offer financial help to former employees from a particular trade who are struggling to pay for the items they need.

The Royal British Legion or SSAFA Forces Help or ABF The Soldiers’ Charity may be able to help pay for equipment and adaptations if you are a veteran.

The Chronicle Sunshine Fund is a local North East charity that provides specialist and adapted equipment to children and young people aged 0-19 living with disabilities, additional needs, chronic and terminal illness. They fund equipment that cannot be provided by NHS or local authorities.

Check you’re claiming benefits that you can

There are disability-related benefits that you may be able to apply for such as:

See gov.uk for more information.

Where to get benefits advice in Newcastle

You can speak with someone about the benefits you may be entitled to. A local independent advice service can help guide you through the process such as:

Newcastle Welfare Rights Service gives benefits advice and have useful benefits information on their website

Newcastle City Council Housing gives council tenants benefits and debt advice.

Citizens Advice Newcastle (CAN) give free, confidential and independent advice to people who live, work or study in Newcastle.

Search Newcastle gives benefits advice to older people in the West of Newcastle

Other useful information

Adapting Your Home Guide – Age UK booklet
Legal & General now offer help to find and fund care
The design of homes for those with dementia or sight loss – guidelines from The Dementia Centre at Stirling University
Getting repairs and maintenance done

The Council has provided the Legal & General links for information purposes only. Please note that the Council neither recommends nor endorses any products or services accessed via these links. For full details, please see their website advertising statement

Last updated: August 23, 2024