Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Adult Services and Housing

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Adult Services and Housing which indicated that Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG’s) are available to disabled people when works to adapt their home are judged necessary and appropriate to meet their needs and when it is reasonable and practicable to carry them out having regard to the age and condition of the dwelling. The report sought to update and supersede the City Council Housing Assistance Policy, which focused on discretionary support for those in fuel poverty to include more flexible use of DFGs. 

The report indicated that by updating the policy, the areas where discretionary funding can be provided will be expanded and will enable more flexible arrangements that are currently not possible under a mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant and will enable the City Council to support more people in more flexible ways and will further support the Council’s policy objective of enabling people to remain at home through promoting independence.

The discretionary ability that adopting this policy allows include:

·  Removal of financial assessment where the grant does not exceed £6000

·  The ability to ‘top-up’ the grant where the value exceeds £30000

·  Assistance to meet the client’s assessed contribution

·  The provision of at home safely scheme

·  Discretionary use of DFG for heating and insulation

·  Assistance to move to a more suitable home

·  Funding for respite care while work required to provide an adaptation is carried out

The application of the above will be on a case-by-case basis but adopting the updated Housing Assistance Policy enables a greater level of flexibility to use DFGs to support people to remain in their own homes or move to a more suitable home.

The Cabinet welcomed the proposals in the report.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:-

1)  Approves the adoption of the draft Housing Assistance Policy - Disabled Facilities Grant attached at Appendix 1 of this report.

2)  Approves that minor revisions to the Housing Assistance Policy attached at Appendix 1 of this report, including any amendments to the financial limits which are capable of being funded from within existing corporate resources, can be made by the Director of Adult Services and Housing, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Services, from time to time when needed.