Estimated £250,000 set to be awarded to Doncaster Council to adapt homes for disabilities

On Monday (11 September) the Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities jointly announced funding to allow older and disabled people to make adaptations to their homes.

Totalling £50 million, the Disabled Facilities Grant will allow those in need to apply for funding from their local authority.

An estimated £250,000 will be allocated to Doncaster Council, following confirmation from the government and the exact criteria for the funding.

Once it is confirmed, the funding will go through the council’s governance channels including approval by the cabinet.

In Doncaster, anyone living in private owned or rented housing who requires adaptations due to elderly or disability needs will be able to apply to the council for a grant.

The funding is latest part of the government’s Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care plan, which will see £102 million total investment into disability services over two years.

This is additional to the annual £573 million which is distributed between local authorities for home improvement services.

One of its aims is to allow people in hospital to have adaptations be made to their homes quickly, so they can be discharged to a safe environment.

This would allow hospital beds to become free more quickly and reduce NHS waiting times.

Adaptations could include such things as wheelchair ramps, handrails, stairlifts and other specialist equipment.