Disabled Facilities Grant — Apply Before You Borrow
The Disabled Facilities Grant is a statutory grant administered by local housing authorities in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. In England, the maximum grant is £30,000, with amounts varying elsewhere. The DFG is means-tested, meaning the amount you receive depends on your income and savings, though many applicants receive the full amount or a substantial proportion of it. Importantly, the grant is available to both owner-occupiers and private tenants in rented accommodation, making it broadly accessible.
To apply for a DFG, you must first contact your local council and request an assessment. An occupational therapist (OT) will visit to assess the disabled person's needs and recommend the most appropriate adaptations. The OT's assessment is a key part of the process: it determines which works are eligible for funding and provides professional justification for the proposed adaptations. Following the OT assessment, the council will determine the grant amount available and arrange for approved contractors to carry out the work.
The DFG can fund a wide range of adaptations including: widening doors and installing ramps for wheelchair access, providing access to the main bedroom and bathroom (including level-access showers and wet rooms), improving heating systems for the benefit of the disabled person, adapting heating or lighting controls, and installing or improving stairlifts or vertical platform lifts. Works that go beyond what the OT has recommended — or where the DFG does not cover the full cost — can be funded by a secured loan as a top-up to the grant.
The DFG application process can take several months from initial assessment to funds being approved, so it is important to begin the process as early as possible. In some cases, urgent adaptations such as stairlifts may be expedited by the council or funded through a different local authority scheme while the formal DFG application is processed. Your local council's housing team can advise on the options available in your area.
Common Disability Adaptations and Their Costs
Understanding the typical cost of individual adaptations helps you assess whether the DFG will cover the full scope of works and whether a secured loan top-up may be required. Stairlifts are one of the most frequently requested adaptations and typically cost £2,500 to £5,000 for a straight stairlift, rising to £5,000 to £15,000 for a curved stairlift where the stairs change direction. Through-floor lifts — a more permanent alternative to a stairlift — typically cost £10,000 to £20,000 installed.
A wet room or level-access shower installation typically costs £5,000 to £8,000 when completed to the Part M accessibility standard, with a fully accessible bathroom (including a wash-height basin, raised toilet, grab rails, and a fold-down shower seat) at the upper end of this range. Widening doorways to the recommended 775mm clear opening width typically costs £300 to £800 per doorway, making it a relatively low-cost adaptation with high impact for wheelchair users.
External ramps vary considerably in cost depending on the height difference to be bridged and the material used. A simple pre-fabricated portable ramp can be purchased for £200 to £600. A permanent concrete or timber ramp built to specification typically costs £1,500 to £5,000 depending on the length and finish required. For properties with significant level changes at the entrance, more complex ramped access or step-lift systems may be needed, at a proportionally higher cost.
For homeowners with complex needs or requiring multiple adaptations simultaneously, the total cost of works can easily exceed the DFG maximum of £30,000 in England. In these situations, a secured loan top-up allows the full programme of adaptations to be completed without delay, funded at a competitive rate against the property's equity.
