Council invests £1m on Disabled Adaptations
Winchester City Council has agreed to double its spending on adapting resident’s homes, helping them to remain independent and in many cases making sure they can return home from hospital more quickly.
As part of the Government’s Better Care programme, the Council is now investing over £1m every year on installing disabled adaptations such as level access showers, stair lifts and ramps, as well as extending properties to help disabled and vulnerable residents to be able to continue to live independently and remain in their own home, avoiding the disruption and expense of being place in care homes and preventing extended hospital stays.
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a means tested grant helping people, including those living in the private sector, with the cost of adapting their homes, enabling them to continue living there. This is a mandatory grant for works that have been recommended as essential and necessary by an Occupational Therapist.
At a recent meeting, the Council's Cabinet Housing Committee agreed a new policy to allow the grant programme to reach more residents and to fund larger scale works.
Cllr Caroline Horrill, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing said:
The Council has offered grants to disabled residents for many years. However, by expanding the programme we can help more people and by working closely with the County Council and hospitals, we can make a real difference in helping people get the care they need, when they need it.
We have appointed our own occupational therapist and support team and this will help speed up assessments and works. This is a programme that will make a real improvement to people's lives and reduce the cost to the public sector at the same time.