Government Announces £50m For The Disabled Facilities Grant
Department for Health has announced an £50m boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant, which will be distributed to local authorities next month.
The government says that this announcement will bring total DSG funding for 2025-26 to £761 million. The DFG supports around 60,000 older people and people with disabilities each year, with an average grant of around £10,000 distributed by councils.
It comes at the start of a year when Baroness Casey’s Independent Commission is due to publish its first recommendations.
The money will be used for features like stairlifts, ramps and smart technologies.
This brings total funding to £761 million, helping older and disabled people live independently, which the government said would ease pressure on the NHS.
Cllr Steven Broadbent, Vice-Chair of the County Councils Network, said:
“This £50m investment for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) will help County Councils Network members to support more residents to live safely and independently in their own homes and will relieve some immediate pressure on waiting lists.
“But this funding should be seen as a short-term boost rather than a long-term solution. Demand for home adaptations continues to rise, construction costs remain high, and councils still operate within a system that has not kept pace with need. Without sustained increases to the DFG budget and wider reform of adult social care, councils will continue to face difficult choices and residents reliant on these adaptations will continue to face long delays for support.”
Millie Brown, deputy director for homes at the Centre for Ageing Better, said:
“We welcome the additional funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant [DFG] which will help thousands more people to feel safer in their own homes and to have greater independence.
“Improving accessibility and reducing the falls risk in people’s homes offers excellent value for taxpayers’ money. Every £1 spent on home improvements to reduce falls lead to £7.5 worth of savings for the health and care sector.
“We know that the DFG can be a lifeline for people who are able to navigate the process but the system is far from perfect. We want more to be done to ensure more people on low incomes are able to receive support from the scheme.
“There is also a lack of awareness about what is available through the DFG scheme among those who might benefit, who is eligible and how to apply. Services at a local level to deliver home improvements are varied and patchy across the country.
“Establishing a national network of one-stop shops known as Good Home Hubs would create a trustworthy and reliable source of information to access advice and support on this issue for residents regardless of where they lived.”
