Local UK Councils Disabled Facilities Grant Spending

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2019/08/06 - Updated: 2024/03/29
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: Disability Statistics - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Freedom of Information Requests submitted on behalf of A Wood Idea have revealed that UK council funding through Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) is at a 10-year high. Collective spend by councils on DFGs has increased by a third over the past ten financial years rising from £75,000,000 to over £100,000,000.

Introduction

Freedom of Information requests were sent to 73 U.K. councils to understand how spending on these life changing grants has changed over the last 10 years. The data we have is split regionally and uncovered some fascinating statistics that bucks the current trend of austerity in local government. The collective spend by councils on DFGs has increased by a third over the past ten financial years rising from £75,000,000 to over £100,000,000.

Main Item

What Are Disabled Facilities Grants?

Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG's) are paid under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 for the provision of grant aided adaptations for disabled persons' properties within the UK. The applicant must be an owner occupier, a private tenant, a landlord with a disabled tenant, a local authority tenant; or a housing association tenant. Local authorities may carry out the work either through provision of money to the applicant or through an agency service. The maximum mandatory value of works is £30,000 in England; however the local authority can use discretionary powers to increase the value of works.

Council Data

Data from 73 councils in England shows that the collective spend through DFGs has grown by over 33%, rising from £75,000,000 in 2009/10 to over £100,000,000 in 2018/19, as an increasing number of people use the grants to fund essential accessibility adaptations to their homes.

Of the councils who responded to the requests, Leeds City Council was found to spend the most on funding the grants, averaging £6,508,716 annually between 2009/10 and 2018/19. Manchester City Council followed in second place with an average spend of £4,654,900.

Wokingham Council had the lowest DFG annual spend on average at £397,948, based on data supplied between 2014/15 and 2018/19. Slough Borough Council took second place with an average spend of £489,476, followed by Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead's £534,564.

Waltham Forest Council's spend increased the most across the 10 financial years, jumping from £978,113 in 2009/10 to £2,052,908 in 2018/19. This shows a 110% increase, which correlates with the growth in the number of DFG applications the council received - up from 78 in 2009/10 to 372 in 2018/19.

In contrast, Hull County Council's DFG spend had reduced by 42% between 2009/10 and 2018/19, dropping from £2,180,000 in to £1,247,000. However, the number of grants approved had roughly halved.

Overall, councils in the North West had the highest collective average spend over the ten financial years at £25,952,343, averaging at £1,853,738 per year.

However, councils in Yorkshire & The Humber are spending the most on DFGs on average, at £2,391,541 per year. Councils in the South East have the lowest average spend per year at £905,125, followed by Greater London with an average spend of £1,066,755.

DFGs approved by Sutton Council had the highest value, averaging at £13,751. At the other end of the scale, Milton Keynes Council spends the lowest amount on average, equalling £3,766 per grant.

Hollie-Anne Brooks, a respected journalist and a passionate campaigner for disability rights, became disabled a little over 12 months ago, and although she doesn't have first hand experience of the Disability Facilites Grant she has spoken with countless people who have had their lives changed for the better by the grants.

"Although I haven't personally applied for a DFG, I know full well the positive impact they can have on a person's life. Small changes matter a great deal and something that may seem minor can have such an enriching impact on the life of a disabled person - both from an accessibility point of view but also in terms of their mental health."

"Though it's great that the money is available when people need to access it, one of the major problems we currently have with the grant is awareness. Although it's positive to see that spending across councils on DFG's generally seems to be increasing, it's critical that the people who need it most are aware that these life-changing grants are available to them."

Council DFG Spend

Most DFGs Issued

*based on 6 years of data only, from 2013/14.

** 2018/19 data not supplied.

Fewest DFGs Issued

Highest DFG Spend on Average

Lowest DFG Spend on Average

***Based on the average spend for the data provided between 2014/15 and 2018/19.

Author Credentials: Ian was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, .

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Citing and References

Founded in 2004, Disabled World (DW) is a leading resource on disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility, supporting the disability community. Learn more on our About Us page.

Cite This Page: Disabled World. (2019, August 6 - Last revised: 2024, March 29). Local UK Councils Disabled Facilities Grant Spending. Disabled World (DW). Retrieved April 20, 2025 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/statistics/dfg.php

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