The Cabinet Member with the Adults Portfolio introduced the report of the Group Director of People informing Members of the capital resources available for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) during 2022/23 and requesting that consideration be given to the release of those resources, to be utilised in accordance with this Council’s Disabled Facilities Grant and Regulatory Reform Order Policy 2021/23.
The submitted report stated that DFG’s assisted people to live independently by helping to fund suitable adaptations to their properties; the grants were means tested and were available to owner-occupiers, tenants of private rented properties and Housing Association tenants; and DFG’s were governed by housing legislation and had set conditions for payment, within those regulations. The Council had a shared service agreement in place with Durham County Council to provide a Home Improvement Agency service to provide guidance and practical assistance to people who were older, disabled or on low incomes to claim a DFG to repair, improve or adapt their homes and that they also provided support to people until the work was completed and the contractor had been paid.
RESOLVED – (a) That the allocation of £1,063,345, as detailed in the submitted report, to the Council to use for Disabled Facilities Grant adaptations in 2022/23, be noted.
(b) That the capital funding to enable the funding to be allocated in accordance with this Council’s Disabled Facilities Grant and Regulatory Reform Order Policy 2021/23, be released.
REASON - To enable the adaptations for those individuals who are eligible to receive a DFG for 2022/23 to proceed.?????