
Financial Support for Disabled Facilities Local Authorities have a mandatory duty to assist disabled people whose homes are no longer suitable to meet their needs. The assistance provided may take different forms and can include: Information, advice and signposting to enable people to arrange their own solutions, Assistance to move to a more suitable property Grant funding and support to adapt their current home The type of assistance that will be offered will depend on whether the person’s assessed need is deemed to be eligible for support and is also a priority for assistance through the community care assessment and planning process. Where an applicant receives an 80% mandatory grant and is unable to fund the shortfall they will be referred for financial assessment to assist in funding the shortfall. Assistance for disabled adaptations (for home owners) In order to find out if a person is eligible for help, an assessment of their needs requires to be undertaken. They can either do this themselves or via a friend or relative acting on their behalf contacting the Housing and Social Work offices of North Lanarkshire Council to ask for an assessment to be carried out. This assessment will be carried out by Occupational Therapists who have experience in assessing any applicant’s current and/or future needs. As there are many more assessed needs than available resources to meet those needs, it has to be decided which needs should receive the greatest priority. This is done by assessing the risks if needs are not met into one of four categories: Critical (Priority 1) Substantial (Priority 2) Moderate (Priority 3) Low (Priority 4) These categories refer to needs and not people. Not all of a person’s needs will fall into the same category. Where needs fall into Priority 1 or 2 they will be eligible for support. Priority 3 and Priority 4 needs will not be met with direct provision, but assistance, including information and advice will be provided to see if people can have their needs met in other ways. More details of the assessment process can be found in the ‘Guide to Social Work Services’ and in the ‘Support at Home – Equipment and Adaptation Services’ leaflet which sets out the range of help available and identifies the eligibility criteria an processes involved in meeting community care outcomes. To obtain copies of these documents please contact your local Social Work office. Examples of adaptations Adaptations which include provision of major equipment items Some recommended adaptations will include the installation of major items of equipment. Examples might include a specialist bath or toilet, a through floor lift or step lift. These items will be funded via the grant process and be subject to the same funding criteria and council priority framework. Applicants need to be aware that they will be responsible for servicing and maintaining such items and that the council will not fund their removal if they are no longer required. Adaptations for private tenants Where a person lives in a privately rented property, they are still entitled to assistance with regard to their needs. Where a private landlord agrees to an adaptation for a tenant and prior to its installation makes a written request that the property be re-instated if the tenant subsequently leaves the property, the council will confirm in writing whether any grant aid will be provided towards such re-instatement costs. Grant will only be considered for such works likely to affect the landlord’s ability to rent out the property in the future. For example, if a bath has been replaced with a wet floor area, this would not be expected to impact on future ability to let the property to another tenant. If however a specialist WC or bath had been fitted, consideration may be given to the offer of grant towards replacement of these non-standard items. Landlords will be expected to firstly seek tenants who can benefit from the adaptation before re-instating. No grant will be provided for reinstatement where this has not been previously agreed. However information and advice will be given in all instances. Reinstatement/Removal of adaptations The council will not provide grant funding to remove an adaptation, except where prior agreement exists to reinstate a private landlord’s property (as detailed above). The council will however provide all other owners with information and advice to help with removal/reinstatement if requested See http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17484 for further information. Last updated: 14th February 2025 Copyright © 2025 ADL Smartcare Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Financial Support for Disabled Facilities

Local Authorities have a mandatory duty to assist disabled people whose homes are no longer suitable to meet their needs. The assistance provided may take different forms and can include:

Information, advice and signposting to enable people to arrange their own solutions,
Assistance to move to a more suitable property
Grant funding and support to adapt their current home

The type of assistance that will be offered will depend on whether the person’s assessed need is deemed to be eligible for support and is also a priority for assistance through the community care assessment and planning process.

Where an applicant receives an 80% mandatory grant and is unable to fund the shortfall they will be referred for financial assessment to assist in funding the shortfall.

Assistance for disabled adaptations (for home owners)

In order to find out if a person is eligible for help, an assessment of their needs requires to be undertaken. They can either do this themselves or via a friend or relative acting on their behalf contacting the Housing and Social Work offices of North Lanarkshire Council to ask for an assessment to be carried out. This assessment will be carried out by Occupational Therapists who have experience in assessing any applicant’s current and/or future needs.

As there are many more assessed needs than available resources to meet those needs, it has to be decided which needs should receive the greatest priority. This is done by assessing the risks if needs are not met into one of four categories:

Critical (Priority 1)
Substantial (Priority 2)
Moderate (Priority 3)
Low (Priority 4)

These categories refer to needs and not people. Not all of a person’s needs will fall into the same category. Where needs fall into Priority 1 or 2 they will be eligible for support. Priority 3 and Priority 4 needs will not be met with direct provision, but assistance, including information and advice will be provided to see if people can have their needs met in other ways.

More details of the assessment process can be found in the ‘Guide to Social Work Services’ and in the ‘Support at Home – Equipment and Adaptation Services’ leaflet which sets out the range of help available and identifies the eligibility criteria an processes involved in meeting community care outcomes. To obtain copies of these documents please contact your local Social Work office.

Examples of adaptations

Adaptations which include provision of major equipment items

Some recommended adaptations will include the installation of major items of equipment. Examples might include a specialist bath or toilet, a through floor lift or step lift. These items will be funded via the grant process and be subject to the same funding criteria and council priority framework. Applicants need to be aware that they will be responsible for servicing and maintaining such items and that the council will not fund their removal if they are no longer required.

Adaptations for private tenants

Where a person lives in a privately rented property, they are still entitled to assistance with regard to their needs. Where a private landlord agrees to an adaptation for a tenant and prior to its installation makes a written request that the property be re-instated if the tenant subsequently leaves the property, the council will confirm in writing whether any grant aid will be provided towards such re-instatement costs.

Grant will only be considered for such works likely to affect the landlord’s ability to rent out the property in the future. For example, if a bath has been replaced with a wet floor area, this would not be expected to impact on future ability to let the property to another tenant. If however a specialist WC or bath had been fitted, consideration may be given to the offer of grant towards replacement of these non-standard items.

Landlords will be expected to firstly seek tenants who can benefit from the adaptation before re-instating. No grant will be provided for reinstatement where this has not been previously agreed. However information and advice will be given in all instances.

Reinstatement/Removal of adaptations

The council will not provide grant funding to remove an adaptation, except where prior agreement exists to reinstate a private landlord’s property (as detailed above).

The council will however provide all other owners with information and advice to help with removal/reinstatement if requested

See http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17484 for further information.