Ministers warned not to backtrack on disability housing

According to the BBC, the Government is no longer committed to increase the amount disabled people in England can claim to adapt their home. 

The fund, known as the Disabled Facilities Grant, is used to cover the costs of adaptations which those with disabilities may need to help them live independently.

The maximum amount a person can claim from the DFG is £30,000 in England which has been capped since 2008, meaning it has failed to keep up with inflation. The BBC reports that, despite a promise to consult on increasing the maximum amount that can be claimed, the Government has not taken this step forward.

Over 1.2m households in the private rented sector in England have someone living in them with a disability or long-term illness. The DFG is a vital way to ensure properties can meet the needs of such tenants.

Previous research by the landlord body the NRLA has found that, where landlords are aware of the DFG, they are far more likely to make adaptations to properties that disabled tenants need.  However, the NRLA warns that unless the cap on the amount available is increased, it will become increasingly difficult to fund these.

Association chief executive Ben Beadle says; “Every disabled person deserves a home that meets their needs and enables them to live as independently as possible. To do so however requires adequate funding.

“Unless it fully reviews the cap on the Disabled Facilities Grant to better reflect growing costs, the Government will make it impossible for many to afford the adaptations they desperately need.

“Ministers need to keep their word and commit to uprating the grants available to disabled people.”