The Department for Health has announced an £50m boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant, which will be distributed to local authorities next month.
The government says that this announcement will bring total DSG funding for 2025-26 to £761 million. The DFG supports around 60,000 older people and people with disabilities each year, with an average grant of around £10,000 distributed by councils.
It comes at the start of a year when Baroness Casey’s Independent Commission is due to publish its first recommendations.
Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the LGA's Health and Wellbeing Committee, said: “Home adaptations funded through the Disabled Facilities Grant enable people to manage their health and wellbeing at home, preventing hospital admissions, reduce delayed discharges, support carers, and avoid premature moves into residential care.
“Councils are committed to supporting disabled adults and older people to live independently, safely, and with dignity in their homes. The additional funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant is a vital mechanism in supporting councils to deliver this.”
The government’s announcement will enable around 5,000 more people to adapt their homes with essential features like stairlifts, ramps and smart technologies.
This brings total funding to £761 million, helping older and disabled people live independently while easing pressure on the NHS through safer homes and quicker hospital discharges.
Millie Brown, Deputy Director for Homes at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “We welcome the additional funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant [DFG] which will help thousands more people to feel safer in their own homes and to have greater independence.
“Improving accessibility and reducing the falls risk in people’s homes offers excellent value for taxpayers’ money. Every £1 spent on home improvements to reduce falls lead to £7.5 worth of savings for the health and care sector.
“We know that the DFG can be a lifeline for people who are able to navigate the process but the system is far from perfect. At Ageing Better, we want more to be done to ensure more people on low incomes are able to receive support from the scheme.
“There is also a lack of awareness about what is available through the DFG scheme among those who might benefit, who is eligible and how to apply. Services at a local level to deliver home improvements are varied and patchy across the country.
“Establishing a national network of one-stop shops known as Good Home Hubs would create a trustworthy and reliable source of information to access advice and support on this issue for residents regardless of where they lived.”
