Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people have access to specialised homes in (a) the private sector and (b) social housing.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including people with disabilities and reflect this in their local plan. Alongside this, my Department, DHSC and the NHS provide capital grant funding to help subsidise the delivery of new supply of supported housing including for disabled people.

Local housing authorities have a statutory duty to provide home adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test. They also have powers to provide adaptations for those that do not qualify under the duty. Government funding helps adapt around 50,000 homes annually, with the majority (90%) of adaptations being level access showers, stair lifts, or ramps. Government funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant has more than doubled, rising from £220 million in 2015-16 to £625 million for 2024-25.