The government is looking at whether disabled people in England should be able to claim more than £30,000 to make adaptations to their homes. Ministers have agreed to review the cap on the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) after a court challenge. The grant pays for alterations, such as installing wet rooms or stairlifts. The upper limit for claims in England hasn’t been raised since 2008 and a pledge to increase it, made in 2021, was shelved by the last government. Lawyers acting on behalf of a six-year-old boy with autism and other needs applied to the High Court for a judicial review in July. The child, who has not been named for legal reasons, lives in a one-bedroom home in Tower Hamlets in London which needs to be extended to provide another bedroom and space for his equipment. The estimated cost of the work is £100,000, far in excess of the £30,000 limit. Labour ministers decided the new government would not fight the legal challenge and have instead agreed to conduct a review that must be completed before spring. The review will include an assessment of the impact on disabled people who are unable to make adaptations because the cost exceeds £30,000. The boy’s mother said that if the grant could be increased, it would “start to change people’s lives for the better and allow those with disabilities and their families to live with dignity.”
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