We can help fund up to £1,000 for minor adaptations like lever taps, half steps or grab rails, or give you information and advice on getting a grant for major adaptations like stairlifts and level-access showers.
If you have any questions about the information on this page, or you’d like to speak to someone in our adaptations team, just fill in this form.
What are minor adaptations?
Minor adaptations are additions to your home that help you live more comfortably and safely. They don’t require any major structural changes to the property.
Minor adaptations include:
- handrails
- grab rails
- lever taps
- half steps
- bannister rails
We can help provide up to £1,000 in funding to install these, but we will need you to get an occupational therapist assessment first.
How do I get an occupational therapy assessment?
For both minor and major adaptations, we’ll need you to get an occupational therapy assessment first.
This is an independent assessment made of your needs by an occupational therapist, which is someone that works with people who have disabilities, which helps us make sure any changes to your home are beneficial to you.
To get an occupational therapy assessment, you can either:
- contact adult services at your council so you can be self-referred
- speak to your GP who could refer you for an assessment to adult services on your behalf
Waiting times for occupational therapy assessments can vary depending on where you live.
What are major adaptations?
Major adaptations involve changes to your home that require significant work. They include things like:
- access ramps
- over-bath showers
- level access showers
- stairlifts
Funding for major adaptations usually comes from a Disabilities Facilities Grant (DFG) provided by your local council.
This grant is subject to means testing, which means you might have to pay for some of the work yourself. If the adaptation is for a child under the age of 19, you won’t be means tested.
You’ll also need to be assessed by an occupational therapist.
Once the assessment has been made, they will send it along with their recommendations to our adaptations team. Once we’ve reviewed it, we’ll contact you about what to do next, and let you know if you should make an application for a DFG.
Major adaptations for children under the age of 17
Children aged 17 and under who need an occupational therapy assessment should be referred to children’s social care services first. Alternatively, your GP might refer you to the council’s child services department.
What aids and adaptations are not covered by funding?
There are some aids and adaptations you will need to pay for yourself. These include:
- wheelchairs
- specialist shower seats
- bath lifts
- hearing aids
- some types of sensory equipment
Depending on what your occupational therapy assessment says, we might be able to accommodate specific requests like vibrating pillow pads or doorbell intercom systems. Our adaptations team and customer safety team will review your assessment and let you know our decision as soon as possible.
If you need any specialist equipment that we can’t help with, you should speak to your doctor or local council.
Remember, always get expert advice before buying any aid yourself. Specialised equipment can be expensive so it’s important to make sure anything you get is the right fit.
When adapting your home is not possible
Sometimes we won’t be able to adapt your home. This could be because of the size or type of your home, or because your needs are highly specialised.
For example, if you live above ground level but there’s no lift in your property, we won’t be able to fit level-access showers. This is because it will affect our ability to let the property in future.
In these cases, we may suggest you consider moving to another home. Your housing partner can help you look at your options.
Our standards of service
We record every request and referral on our database. We will acknowledge an occupational therapist’s referral and let you know what happens next for both minor and major adaptation requests.
For major adaptations, we’ll confirm the funding arrangements with the local authority once a DFG panel have made their decision about whether or not you can have a grant. We will let you and the occupational therapist know what happens next.
We aim to fit most minor adaptations which we are funding within 10 to 28 working days.
Adaptation contractors
The local authorities usually complete the work on behalf of Accent Housing using their own adaptation contractors. We can’t control how quickly they work. This means it could take longer than expected. The council will let you know when they think the work will be completed, and provide Accent and you with any progress updates during the adaptation work at the property.
