Home adaptations grants and services

The home improvement Agency can provide Grants and services.

The services include:

To check your eligibility for the grants and services below and arrange an assessment, please contact Access Harrow on 020 8901 2680

Disabled Facilities Grant

The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) allows access to a grant for adaptations to enable people with Disabilities to live independently and safely in their own home.

We can carry out the following types of work to the property. This can include but is not limited to:

  • Facilitating access to and from the dwelling or building in which the dwelling is situated.
  • Facilitating access to the garden.
  • Facilitating access to a room used or useable as the principal family room.
  • Facilitating access to and from a room used or useable for sleeping. 
  • Facilitating access to a room in which there is a lavatory, a bath or shower (or both) and a wash hand basin.

An Occupational Therapist (OT) following a home assessment will look at your circumstances and make recommendations.

You can apply for the grant if:

  • you are Disabled
  • you  are the Tenant of a Private Landlord or Housing Association - the owner of the property can also apply for you
  • you intend to reside at the property as the main residence for five years.

To qualify you will need to be means tested to find out how much of the grant you are entitled to. Where a simple adaptation which does not require major structural works, for example conversion of a bathroom into a shower room, a stairlift, hoist or ramp, and can provide an effective solution to reduce current or potential future care and NHS costs the means test will not be applied. It can only be provided if the councils recommended scheme is agreed by the applicant/applicants representative and where the councils’ approved contractors carry out the works.

Mandatory grants providing adaptations for children and those already receiving a means tested benefit, are not subject to the means test. The highest amount of the grant that can be awarded is £30,000.

The grant can be subject to a legal charge on the property. If the value of the property increases after an adaptation under a mandatory disabled facilities grant has been provided, a 10-year charge will be placed upon the property. Your surveyor will be able to explain more regarding the charge on their visit.

Handyperson Service

The Handyperson Service is available to residents living in Harrow. The service is limited to a maximum of six hours work per year, with the six hours spread out over a maximum of three  visits per year. The service includes:

  • Basic electrics such as replacing light bulbs, 
  • Small jobs such as turning a mattress
  • Small jobs such as cutting grass and hedges.  

To qualify for the service, you must be:

  • disabled or over 60 and receiving a means tested benefit
  • without regular help and support from family and friends
  • unable to finance the work yourself
  • a homeowner, or a person in rented/leased accommodation responsible for the upkeep of your living area under the tenancy/lease agreement. 
  • If you have a partner or family member living at the property, they must not be in paid employment.

Staying Put Home Improvement Service

The Staying Put Home Improvement Service provides help to the elderly (over 60s or disabled) through the home adaptation process. A caseworker and surveyor  from the agency will visit your home and:

  • Provide you with help, advice, and support prior to adapting the property
  • The caseworker will arrange for a surveyor to  prepare drawings and specifications for required adaptations.
  • Surveyors will obtain estimates from reliable contractors
  • The caseworker will advise on any unclaimed benefit that may be available from the Department of Work and Pensions
  • The caseworker will help you complete grant application forms

To check your eligibility for a grant please contact Access Harrow 020 8901 2680 to arrange for an OT Assessment.