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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the suitability of the current ceiling amount for the Disabled Facilities Grant.

The Government is committed to helping older and disabled people to live independently and safely. Government funding for Disabled Facilities Grant has more than doubled, rising from £220 million in 2015-16 to £623 million for 2023-24.

Local areas already have discretion in how they manage the grant, for example, they can provide grants above the £30,000 cap on a case-by-case basis or in line with a locally published housing assistance policy. In 2022, Government published guidance for local authorities on the Disabled Facilities Grant, which includes information on using discretion in local delivery of the grant. The guidance can be found here.

As with all aspects of the Disabled Facilities Grant, the Government will continue to keep the upper limit under review.

Unaudited data provided voluntarily by local authorities suggests that the average time for approval of a DFG application in 2021/22 was 29 working days. The average completion time was 88 days.

Local areas already have the power to include in their housing assistance policies a fast-track route for applicants with an urgent need for adaptations, including those with progressive health conditions. Government DFG delivery guidance provides information to local authorities on how to design housing assistance policies. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities also funds an organisation called Foundations to support local authorities with the effective delivery of the grant, and they can assist authorities in drafting policies that address local need.