Grants for disabled adaptations are available to help you live more comfortably in your own home by providing the necessary alterations to meet your needs.

You may apply for a grant if you are:

• An owner occupier;
• Living in a privately rented property.

Before applying, you will need to be seen by an Occupational Therapist (OT). The OT will visit your home to carry out an assessment of your needs. Please contact Orbit to arrange this; call 0800 1217711 or email suffolkhia@orbit.org.uk

Orbit work with Suffolk County Council and the District and Borough Councils across Suffolk with assisting disabled adaptations. They have developed a Housing Option and Advice Service to help disabled residents live at home more independently.

As part of the grant process, Orbit will:

• Carry out a statutory means test. Orbit will ask you for details of your financial circumstances, so that they can tell you whether you qualify for grant aid and what contribution (if any) you may need to make towards the cost of the work;
• Make an appointment for one of their officers to visit you. The OT may visit with the Orbit officer and they will discuss with you what adaptations would be most suitable.

Orbit will support you with your application and will visit to:

• Help with the application form;
• Organise  a schedule of works in response to OT recommendations, depending on whether the works are major or minor adaptations, together with details of any other information the Council needs.”

Before the Council can approve the grant we will need the completed application form and the information we have asked for.

Please note, grants will not be paid for works that have already started.

Grants for disabled adaptations are available for works that will help you to remain in your property, such as:

• Widening doors and installing ramps to make access into and out of your home easier;
• Installing a stair lift;
• Access to bathing and toilet facilities;
• Making a dwelling safe for disabled occupant;
• Providing a room useable for sleeping;
• Facilitating food preparation.

These are only examples. Other works may qualify for a grant, in consultation with Suffolk Social Care Services. If in doubt - please ask.

When applying for a grant for disabled adaptations you will be asked to sign a Certificate of Future Occupation stating that throughout the grant condition period you intend to occupy the property as your only or main residence.

A breach of the conditions may mean that the grant has to be repaid.

The grant condition period lasts for:

• 5 years - if the amount of grant assistance is £4,999 or less;
• 10 years - if the amount of grant assistance is £5,000 or more.

If the grant amount is for a sum of £5,000 or over the Council may demand repayment of the part of the grant that exceeds £5,000, but may not demand an amount in excess of £10,000.

The maximum amount of grant assistance that can be offered is currently £30,000.

Discretionary Disabled Facilities Grant

The Discretionary Disabled Facilities Grant is a new initiative that provides a better and simplified process to speed up adaptations, removing the need for a means test for minor adaptations. Find out more.