A grant of generally up to £10,000 is available from local authorities to assist disabled persons with the expenditure incurred in making necessary modifications to a new house – less than 12 months old – where works commenced on or after 6 December 2000 and the applicant had not previously obtained a disabled person's new house grant. My Department recoups two-thirds of the grant paid, up to a maximum of £6,666. It is also open to local authorities to pay a higher level of grant than £10,000, subject to not exceeding 90% of the approved cost of the works.
The maximum local authority grant in respect of the adaptation on extension of an existing house to meet the needs of a disabled person is generally up to £16,000. Again, this attracts two thirds recoupment from my Department, up to a maximum £10,666, and local authorities may in some cases pay a higher level of grant, subject to not exceeding 90% of the approved costs of the works.
Both grants schemes are available to disabled applicants or in respect of disabled members of a household regardless of age.