Housing Assistance Policy

5.1 Referral process

To be eligible for an application for a DFG, the City Council’s Occupational Therapy (OT) department will undertake an assessment of the applicant’s needs.  In circumstances where the adaptations are specialist / very complex, a trusted assessment will be accepted from an OT employed by health or Social Care.  All recommendations are processed by the City Council OT department.  To progress the application, evidence must be available which demonstrates that the need for the adaptation is necessary and appropriate, and the Adaptations Team must be satisfied that the proposed adaptation is reasonable and practicable. 

• Necessary and Appropriate
  This is within the remit of the therapist. The therapist must be able to demonstrate that there is no other way to meet the customer’s needs other than the provision of a DFG.  For example, if a customer can maintain their personal hygiene with provision of minor equipment, to then request a bathroom adaptation would not be necessary and appropriate.
• Reasonable and Practicable
  If the therapist can demonstrate that it is necessary and appropriate for a customer to apply for a DFG, a referral is made to the Adaptations Team.  The Adaptations Team will then determine whether it is reasonable and practicable to proceed with the application.  For example, the therapist may request a ramp for someone, but if the ramp physically will not fit in the garden, then it is not reasonable and practicable to apply for a DFG because the property is structurally not suited to adaptations.

There are situations where these conditions cannot be met, and therefore the provisions of the RRO may be utilised to provide the needed flexibility to the traditional DFG arrangement to the benefit of some of Coventry’s disabled residents.  To apply for a DFG, the customer (or their representative) must refer to Adult Social Care Direct.

Usually, a Contact Assessment Worker will contact the applicant to gather more information regarding the circumstances. The customer may then be signposted to other Services that can meet their needs, or an assessment with a therapist will be arranged.  The therapist will work with the customer to establish how best their needs can be met; the least intrusive and most cost-effective options will be explored first, escalating in complexity until a suitable solution is achieved.  If it is determined that a DFG is the necessary and appropriate solution, the case is passed to the Adaptations Team who then work with the customer and the therapist to provide an adaptation that is reasonable and practicable.

5.2 Application for the grant

Grant funding in most cases is means tested.  Only the income and savings / capital of the applicant and their partner are considered. Evidence of any income and benefits the applicant receives is required including pay slips, pensions, disability benefits, etc. as well as evidence of any capital and savings. The applicant should provide the National Insurance numbers of all the adults living in the property and also needs to know who holds the deeds of the property (for proof of ownership purposes).

Following a means test, depending on the applicant’s financial status an award from 0% to 100% of the costs of the adaptations that have been assessed as meeting the needs could be awarded.  If a contribution is needed, the applicant needs to confirm that they are prepared to fund this before the case is progressed any further. The contribution is paid directly to the contractor when the work is completed.

If in receipt of income related benefits (for example Income Support, Guarantee Pension Credit) there is no means test for the grant. Applications on behalf of a child are not subject to a means test.

There is a notional means testing facility on the Council’s website.

An application will only be considered complete or valid when the council or appointed agent has all the information necessary to make a decision on the application.

5.3 Working with contractors

In delivering the grant approved work, the Council acts as agents on behalf of the applicant.  An officer will coordinate the works, providing plans, seek quotes applying for any planning permission and act as a liaison between the applicant and contractor. 

The Council has a list of approved contractors that we can secure the services of for the applicant.  If the applicant wishes to appoint their own contractor, the contractor will need £5 million Public Liability Insurance and be a member of an SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) organisation. If the applicant selects their own contractor, the applicant needs to be satisfied that the contractor is capable of carrying out the type of work which has been recommended.

In all cases, the contract for the work is between the applicant and the contractor.