A step change: improving delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant

Age UK has published a report that highlights the shocking delays many older and disabled people face waiting for councils to install home aids and adaptations, making it more difficult for them to live independently at home.

They say an overhaul is required to help older people live independently for longer and reduce pressure on NHS and care services. It says that increasing the amount of age-friendly, accessible housing and providing quicker access to appropriate aids and adaptations should be central to the UK's vision for the future of older people's housing

They point to 2021/22, the most recent year for which figures are obtainable when over two-thirds of local authorities took longer than the six months recommended by the Disabled Facilities Grant guidance to install most adaptations through the grant. The longest took more than 24 months. A number of reasons are given for these lengthy delays but they state many seem to come down to poor administration and customer service, and a lack of communication between local authority teams, as evidenced by the case studies included in the report.

If you found this of interest, also check out the Adaptations without Delay report by the Housing LIN for the Royal College of Occupational Therapy.