Harlow Council is increasing the financial assistance available to help residents with disabilities live independently in their homes.
The council’s Cabinet on 11 July 2024 approved updates to its Housing Assistance Policy increasing the maximum award for discretionary disabled facilities grants to help residents with disabilities make adaptations in private homes.
The council introduced a new policy back in December 2023 to allocate discretionary grants to residents without having to means test. The changes aim to speed up the grants process and remove unnecessary red tape for many residents who would like help adapting their home. This helps residents in private housing to discharge from hospital, or to avoid the risk of hospital admission due to falls.
Under changes agreed last week, the council now has the discretion to provide grants up to £30,000 (previously £15,000) to enable more residents to benefit. It is also increasing the discretionary relocation assistance grant from £10,000 to a maximum of £20,000. This grant can be used by residents to move into a more suitable home where it is not reasonable or practicable to adapt the existing home.
The council’s discretionary support is on top of the mandatory means tested Disabled Facilities Grants that qualifying applicants are entitled to as set out in national guidelines and legislation.
The council receives funding from the government via Essex County Council to support residents in private sector housing. The council has its own budget and a separate process for adaptations in council-owned homes.
Adaptations funded through Disabled Facilities Grants include:
stairlifts
door widening
ramps
graded floor showers
bathroom adaptions
small home safety improvements
Councillor Joel Charles, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, said:
“Making sure disabled people have the right access to their home and can put in place adaptations so they can live more independently, is something the council is committed to delivering.
“Because of the injection of nearly one million in additional funding, the council has been able to increase the maximum cap in place for certain discretionary grants to deal directly with the increased cost of home adaptations and the fees associated with relocating to suitable accommodation.
“My colleague Cllr Purse and I worked at pace with several council officers to draft the new assistance policy to meet the growing demand for support. The disability action panel will also be invited to review future versions of the policy to ensure it always takes into consideration a broader spectrum of lived experiences.
“I am determined to reduce the anxiety disabled people may face when making choices about home adaptations – the new assistance policy enables a better way forward.”
Residents can email [email protected] if they have any questions about who is eligible for grants or how the grants process works.
The cabinet’s discussion and decision on the Housing Assistance Policy can be watched here: https://harlow.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/892237/start_time/2617000?force_language_code=en_GB
