Bridgend Council’s Cabinet is set to follow Welsh Government guidance to remove means-testing for certain home adaptations under the Disabled Facilities Grant (pdf).
The grant scheme covers the cost of making changes to homes to make them easier for residents with disabilities to live independently. This includes measures like ramps and handrails, through to more significant adaptations such as walk-in showers, door widening and ground floor extensions.
The grant – worth up to a maximum of £36,000 per household – is available to all homeowners, private tenants and Valleys2Coast tenants in Bridgend.
The Good News
Until now, if the applicant receives certain benefits (housing credit, pension credit, council tax reduction) then there’s no charge, similarly for home adaptations relating to children. However, all other applicants have needed to have their income assessed to determine if they should contribute towards the cost of the work (means-testing).
New Welsh Government guidance removes this means test for small and medium-sized adaptations, meaning it’ll only apply to large adaptations (extensions and structural changes to homes).
As the majority of applications in Wales are defined as “small” or “medium” each year, councils stand to save money through reduced administration costs. Bridgend Council will also receive an additional £270,000 each year for the next three financial years if they agree to end means-testing.
The Bad News
Figures in the report suggest that the additional funding the council will receive may not cover the cost of the requested work – particularly if there’s an increase in demand.
Across the last four financial years, there have been 225 applicants who’ve cancelled their home adaptations due to means-testing – and only 19 of those cancellations were because the works were funded privately/without a grant.
BCBC currently spends £1.95million each year on the Disabled Facilities Grant.
If the removal of means-testing results in more medium-sized applications (worth £8,000 – £12,000) being made, then in an average year it could result in an extra cost to the council of anything between £530,000 – £1.1million.
Officers, therefore, warn that a lengthy waiting list could develop meaning delays to home adaptations if the removal of means-testing results in a rush to apply – though demand is hard to predict.
As a result, they recommend that means testing is lifted but with the impact of the change reviewed before the end of the 2022-23 financial year.
