The government has provided £50 million to local authorities to help older people and those with disabilities live safely and independently in their own homes.

Available to homeowners, private renters and those in social housing, the funding will be delivered through the Disabled Facilities Grant and comes on top of the annual £573 million provided to local authorities for home improvement services. 

Minister for adult social care, Helen Whately, said: “If you’re older or living with a disability, a well-adapted home gives you independence and safety.

“Living in your own home can be impossible after illness or injury without changes like wheelchair ramps, handrails or a stairlift.

“This new funding will help thousands more people have homes fit for their needs – and faster. When time is of the essence, this fund will help local authorities do urgent and smaller-scale adaptations more quickly.

“Sometimes all that stands in the way of a patient going home from hospital is a simple home adaptation – so this this is good news for patients and hospitals too. It’ll mean more people can recover from a hospital stay at home, and more NHS beds for patients who need them.”

Announced as part of the Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care plan, the £50 million is the first tranche of a £102 million investment over two years designed to enable local authorities to provide additional services that are agile, make minor adaptations quickly and support speedier hospital discharge.

Delivered jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, eligible disabled people of all ages will be able to apply to their local authority for a grant to adapt their home to better meet their needs.