Brighton & Hove City Council
This policy sets out how the local authority uses its powers under the Regulatory Reform Order (2002) to introduce a wider range of housing interventions to promote independent living and well-being.
It describes the assistance available for essential housing repairs, renewals and improvements targeted at reducing injury and accidents in the home, tackling fuel poverty and carbon reduction in housing, and reducing delayed transfers of care.
Importantly the policy enables the council greater flexibility in how it uses the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) capital funding to better meet local needs and deliver a number of wider strategic aims to keep people safe and well at home.
The policy will be implemented September 2022 to end of the financial year 2025/26 subject to sufficient Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) capital funding being available each year. The policy is available on the council’s website and available on request from the Housing Adaptations Service.
The policy will be reviewed on an annual basis. An earlier review may be necessary if performance or take up falls below the expected level to ensure the policy is delivering what it is intended for.
Any changes to the policy will be published on the council’s website and a summary document available on request.
The governance of the policy and administration of the DFG capital budget will be the responsibility of the Housing Adaptations Service. Annual performance reports will be subject to scrutiny at Housing Committee.
The policy relates to national objectives for housing, as well as local strategies.
Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funding in England is channelled into the Better Care Fund (BCF) which consists of pooled resources from a number of sources, including NHS England. One of the aims of the BCF is to achieve improved integration of care and support services. Central government funding for DFGs in England is £573 million in 2021 to 22.
Research into DFGs has highlighted pressures around funding compared to levels of need for adaptation works. This can translate into long waits for adaptations. The 2019 to 20 English Housing Survey report on home adaptations recorded 53% (1 million) households who do not have all the adaptations they need, an increase from 45% in 2014 to 15.
The Government’s National Disability Strategy (July 2021) says that, following the 2018 review, new guidance for local authorities in England will be published on the effective delivery of DFGs during 2021. The aim is to accelerate delivery of home adaptations in England and Wales “by improving local delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant.”
The Care Act 2014 obtained Royal Assent in May 2014. Section 3(1) of the Act places a duty on local authorities to carry out their care and support services with the aim of integrating those services with local NHS and other health services.
The policy contributes to making Brighton & Hove an inclusive city with high quality, housing that promotes health and wellbeing. The policy contributes to delivery of Housing Strategy priorities.
Work to improve housing conditions in private rented and owner-occupied homes through renewal advice, assistance, and enforcement, improving Home Energy Efficiency, improving thermal comfort, and reducing fuel poverty and CO2 emissions.
Through investment in a range of housing interventions, helping people remain independent helps to mitigate pressures on the more intensive and costly services provided by Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Health
It also contributes to improving health, care, and well-being by improving the housing conditions which influence health. The policy contributes to the Better Care Plan vision to support people to stay healthy and well by promoting independence and enabling people to fulfil their potential. The policy demonstrates how we will work with the community & voluntary sector, so they play an active role in supporting people to stay well, through the partnership work with Possability People, and places an emphasis on re-abling to support people to maximise their independence.
The policy contributes to delivering priorities to tackle fuel poverty and effectively targeting more vulnerable fuel poor households and those most at risk of the health impacts of cold homes. It helps to maximise resources and opportunities for tackling the causes fuel poverty.
The policy contributes to meeting the council’s ambition for the city to be carbon neutral by 2030 by helping to deliver the ‘Warmer Homes Scheme’ for private housing. It incorporates an additional £400,000 of Warmer Homes funding to increase the maximum grant available to make homes warm and safe and to allow for the installation of air source heat pumps where appropriate and feasible, in addition to insulation measures.
This policy sets out the local housing interventions available to assist people with renewals, repairs, and adaptations in their homes.
The key priorities are to
The total amount of capital funding committed to the policy is up to £800,000 in 2022 to 23. This funding comes from the Disabled Facilities Grant capital allocation via the Better Care Board (£400,000) and Warmer Homes funding (£400,000).
The capital resource will be reviewed annually.
To support people eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) where it is more suitable for them to move rather than remain in their current property.
Eligible for DFG.
Available to owner or occupiers and private tenants where it is not reasonable or practicable to adapt to meet the disabled person’s assessed needs.
Conditions:
Subject to DFG means test.
Maximum of £20,000 to cover the costs arising from the following: estate agent’s fees (limited to a maximum of 1.5% of the property value) stamp duty (limited to a maximum amount of £7,500) solicitor’s fees valuation fees mortgage arrangement fees removal costs necessary utility and service set up costs minor adaptations to make the property suitable.
To support any older or disabled person being discharged from hospital or intermediate care to home.
Any older person aged 65 or over or disabled person being discharged from hospital or intermediate care to home - owner-occupier, private tenant, or housing association tenant.
Conditions
Not subject to means test.
Maximum of £2,500.
The grant is not specified, so any work that supports the discharge from hospital to home is eligible under the criteria including:
To contribute up to £5,000 of the assessed contribution toward the cost of works where the disabled person has an assessed contribution to pay under the DFG means test.
Eligible for DFG Adaptations assessed as necessary and appropriate, reasonable, and practicable supported with an occupational therapist or occupational therapist assistant recommendation.
Works in excess of £5000 are subject to the standard DFG means testing / contribution process. This applies to all cases (other than those on passported benefits).
Maximum of £5,000.
To help low-income homeowners and private tenants to quickly access financial assistance for a wide range of adaptations and repairs to reduce risks of accidents in the home.
Available to owner occupiers and private tenants where the household is in fuel poverty, or the household receiving Housing Benefit or any of the other ‘passporting benefit’ for DFG.
Maximum of two grants in the policy cycle and these needs to be different grant types.
Subject to DFG means test.
Maximum of £20,000 to cover costs arising from
It is also to allow for the installation of air source heat pumps where appropriate and feasible, in addition to insulation measures.
To help with small building repairs, minor adaptations, general home safety checks and remedial actions, falls and accident prevention checks.
Available to over 65’s or disabled adults who are owner-occupiers and private tenants, likely to be DFG eligible. Disabled children also likely to be DFG eligible (via their parents/ carers).
Maximum of three grants (of different types) permitted in each policy cycle.
Not subject to means test..
Maximum of £2,500.
This funding is for home safety checks falls and accident prevention checks.
It can also be used for remedial works such as:
This would include warranty extensions and repairs to stairlifts originally installed via a grant.
To fund adaptations up to £5,000 using other housing professionals such as Private Sector Housing Officers (PSHO) or Trusted Assessors.
Eligible for DFG adaptations assessed as necessary and appropriate by a PSHO, or trusted assessor supported with a written recommendation.
Works in excess of £5000 are subject to the standard DFG Mean testing / contribution process - in all cases (other than those on passported benefits).
Maximum £5,000 Straight forward adaptations that do not need the specialist assessment of an OT such as external rails door intercom & automatic door entry systems.
To help people with dementia or a degenerating neurological condition (such as Huntington’s, MS and Parkinsons) to make changes to the home that would support them to live in their own home safely and for longer.
Any person diagnosed with dementia or a degenerating neurological condition (such as Huntington’s, MS and Parkinsons) eho is an owner-occupier, private tenant, or housing association tenant.
Conditions
Not subject to means test.
Maximum £2,500.
Eligible for DFG. To cover reasonable professional fees and charges associated with the grant application where these are incurred, such as private occupational therapist fees where engaged to advise on what works are required and specialist technical e.g. Structural Engineer fees or similar to determine if a DFG project is feasible.
Not subject to means test.
Maximum £2,500.
To fund adaptions more than the DFG grant limit of £30,000.
Eligible for DFG Considered on a case-by-case basis
Subject to DFG means test on grant up to grant limit.
A discretionary maximum of a further £30,000. Applying the consistent criteria of reasonable, practicable, necessary and appropriate.
The assistance is given as a grant for a specific purpose and no repayment required. Where there are conditions attached to the grant assistance these are explained in the previous section.
For the handyperson services, charges for materials may be made or applicants may need to supply materials themselves.
Application will be by completing a short Disabled Facilities Grant application form and submitting this to the Housing Adaptations Service.
Where eligibility for assistance requires evidence or consents this must be submitted with the application form.
The application for grant assistance must be approved before the work can start. Advice and assistance with the application process is available from the Housing Adaptations Service.
Any complaints about the way in which an application has been dealt with should be addressed to the Housing Adaptations Service
If the complaint is not resolved clients can contact the customer feedback team. To contact them:
Applications which fall outside this policy will generally be refused.
However, the council recognises that in certain cases it may be appropriate to approve such an application. In such cases, decisions will be made by the Executive Director of Housing, Neighbourhoods & Communities after consultation with the Chair/s of Housing Committee.
Once the application is received, we will notify the applicant of the decision as quickly as possible and in critical cases, for example, hospital discharge cases, within two weeks. Assistance under the policy can be paid to the applicant, or directly to the service provider with client consent.
Data protection, safeguarding procedures and equality standards will be fully complied with.