Councils missing legal time limits on home adaptations for disabled: report

Nearly two thirds of councils (62%) are failing to complete home adaptations for disabled people within the one-year legal limit, research by Leonard Cheshire Disability has suggested.

The findings came out of freedom of information requests made by the charity, to which 245 local authorities responded.

The research – contained in a report, The Long Wait for a Home – also found that almost half of councils (44%) were making disabled people wait more than two years for adaptations.

Under s. 34 (1) of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 councils must provide a decision to applicants for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) within six months. Under s. 36 of the 1996 Act councils must pay DFGs within 12 months.

Leonard Cheshire Disability said demand for home adaptations had risen 6% since 2011/12, while the number of DFGs paid had gone down by 3% in the same period.

The charity said thousands of disabled and older people were trapped in unsuitable homes, and unable to move around freely.

“Many people are confined to a limited number of downstairs rooms and face the daily nightmare of washing in their kitchen, sleeping in their living room, using a commode for a toilet, and are unable to get in and out of their front doors,” it added.

Leonard Cheshire Disability urged councils to increase their spending on adaptations so that all disabled people received grants within the time limit.

Andy Cole, Campaigns Director at Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: “Each year 2,500 disabled people have to wait over one year to get adaptations to make their homes accessible, so it is shocking that while demand for this essential work is going up, funding for the programme is falling. This will mean even more disabled people will be left stuck in homes that are damaging to their health, and their independence.

“The effects of poor housing cause stress and depression as well as physical injuries which put a huge strain on our health and social care services. All political parties must address this housing crisis and ensure the funding is put in place for local councils to resolve this.”