Disabled Facilities Grant Means Test 2026: How Much Could You Get?

A Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a mandatory local council grant to help disabled people adapt their home to remain living there independently and safely — covering things like a level-access shower or wet room, stairlifts, ramps, widened doorways, or a downstairs bedroom and bathroom extension where a disabled person cannot manage stairs.

In England, the maximum grant is £30,000. In Wales, it is £36,000. In Northern Ireland, mandatory grants are typically up to £25,000, with additional discretionary funding sometimes available on top. Scotland runs a different system of grants and loans through local councils rather than a directly equivalent DFG scheme. These are maximum figures — the actual grant awarded depends on the assessed cost of works needed and, for adult applicants, the means test outcome.

Disabled children and young people under 19 are exempt from the means test entirely — the grant is assessed purely on the adaptations needed, regardless of household income or savings. Adults over 19 are subject to a financial means test based on income and savings (though certain means-tested benefits, like Pension Credit or income-related Universal Credit, can result in a nil (fully covered) contribution requirement).

The council assesses your (and your partner's, if applicable) income and savings against a standard formula similar to that used for other means-tested support, to work out how much you could reasonably be expected to contribute toward the cost of works. If your assessed contribution is less than the cost of the adaptation (up to the relevant maximum grant), the grant covers the difference. If you receive a qualifying means-tested benefit, your assessed contribution is typically treated as nil.

Yes — savings above a threshold (the exact figure and taper vary and should be checked with your local council, since DFG means testing rules are set nationally but administered locally) reduce the grant amount you are eligible for, similar in principle to how savings affect other means-tested support, though the specific DFG capital limits and taper differ from Universal Credit's rules.

Some councils offer additional discretionary funding, home improvement agency support, or can help identify other charitable or local funding sources to bridge a gap between the maximum mandatory grant and the actual cost of more extensive works, particularly for significant adaptations like a full ground-floor extension.

The process typically involves an occupational therapist assessment (to confirm the adaptations needed are appropriate to your specific needs), followed by the council's own means test and technical/costing assessment. This combined process commonly takes several months from initial referral to grant approval, and can take longer for more complex or extensive adaptations, so early application is advisable if you know significant works will be needed.

Generally no, provided you continue living in the property, though councils can in some circumstances place a legal charge on higher-value grants (typically above £5,000-£10,000, thresholds vary by council) that would require partial repayment if the property is sold within a set number of years (commonly 10 years) of the grant being paid, unless specific exemptions apply.

Yes, a landlord can apply for adaptations needed by a disabled tenant, though the specific means test and contribution rules can differ from an owner-occupier application, and landlord consent (or the landlord being the applicant) is generally required before work can proceed in a rented property.