Cabinet Member for Housing
Decision:
It was RESOLVED:-
That the Regulatory Reform Order Policy on Minor Disabled Adaptation Scheme as described in Option 1 of the report be adopted and reviewed in 12 months.
Reason for Decision: For a Regulatory Reform Order Policy on Minor Disabled Adaptation Scheme to be used legally, members need to have adopted such a scheme.
Alterative Options Considered and Rejected:
1.1 Option 1: Adopt a separate RRO Policy. The existing Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) process can be long and complex and often comes at a time of crisis. The criteria for a DFG is very rigid and has remained relatively unchanged for 20 years. The introduction of an RRO enables greater flexibility around the use of DFG funding to ensure local authorities can target resources to tackle local issues which may be preventing people being able to remain at home and live independently.
It gives power to an authority to provide ‘’assistance in any form, to any person to repair, adapt or rebuild residential premises’’.There are a number of scenarios where removing the requirement to make a full Disabled Facilities Grant application would enable an application for an adaptation or provision of equipment to progress quickly. An RRO allows the provision of small-scale adaptations to fulfil needs not covered by mandatory DFG’s. Below are the proposed changes to the current DFG process.
· Where the cost of the adaptation is £4,999.99 or less the requirement to undertake a means test will be removed. This figure is used, as above this, costs are registered as a local land charge and there is a requirement to repay monies if the property is sold within ten years. Adaptation work below £1000 are dealt with by the County Council. Keeping the figure at £4,999.99 simplifies matters and does not penalise applicants who have incurred a charge historically. By applying a financial ceiling, the risk of public funds being misappropriated is proportional to the benefit of the costs of administering a more complex process.
Examples of work that would be covered within this limit include ramps, bathing/washing facilities, additional heating, stairlifts, key safes, wash/dry toilets. The removal of the means test in these circumstances has received approval from Foundations (a body appointed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to oversee Home Improvement Agencies and offer advice on DFG’s).
· Where works exceed £5,000 the standard DFG process will be followed which includes a means test.
· Where adaptations are straightforward, it can remove the requirement for an Occupational Therapist referral. This is often the bottleneck in the adaptation process therefore removing this should speed up the end to end journey. Further details can be found in the Key Information, 4.6 - 4.9.
1.2 Option 2 – No change to the existing RRO policy. This option keeps the provision of grants as statutory through the DFG process with the option to help people with physical disabilities. It follows a prescribed process which could be considered as equitable, however some residents will continue to be put off by the process and there is little risk to the Council in providing a DFG for people who could afford to pay for the adaptations themselves. However, this will mean the considerable underspend will continue and our vulnerable residents will not get the assistance they need.
Any Declarations of Interest Declared: None
Any Dispensation Granted: None
Minutes:
The Assistant Director for Housing introduced report MCa/18/73 and advised Members how the proposed scheme would work. The recommendations were moved by Councillor Stringer and seconded by Councillor Otton.
Amanda Todd, Senior Environmental Health Officer, confirmed that the scheme would be available to council tenants but will be funded from a different budget.
The Cabinet Member for Assets and Investments suggested that a proportion of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) budget should be put towards the scheme to ensure that the bigger DFG works were not prejudiced.
By a unanimous vote
It was RESOLVED:-
That the Regulatory Reform Order Policy on Minor Disabled Adaptation Scheme as described in Option 1 of the report be adopted and reviewed in 12 months.
Reason for Decision: For a Regulatory Reform Order Policy on Minor Disabled Adaptation Scheme to be used legally, members need to have adopted such a scheme.
Supporting documents: