An adaptation is a change to your home which allows you or your carer greater safety or convenience getting in, out and about your home. It can include things like ramps, grab rails, level access showers and stairlifts which can help you to keep living independently in your own home.
In Kirklees, the Housing and Health Unit can help you with home adaptations for children, young people and adults of any age.
Sometimes the Housing and Health Unit cannot carry out an adaptation because of structural problems with your home, or your home may not be suitable for adaptations. If this is the case, they will work with you to look at other ways of meeting your housing needs such as moving you and your family to a more suitable home.
If your home cannot be adapted or you prefer to move home and you move to a more suitable council property they will also talk with you about whether you would prefer to move in before the work is done or afterwards. And, also about the liability for rent.
Applying for an adaptation
Anyone who lives in Kirklees who has a permanent and substantial disability can apply for an adaptation. You can also apply if you care for a person with a permanent and substantial disability.
The first step to getting an adaptation done is to have a community care assessment. This may involve an occupational therapist who can give specialist advice.
Asking for an assessment
To ask for an assessment for a home adaptation contact your local Gateway to care (formerly called Gateway to Care). Phone 01484 223000 or email
gatewaytocare@kirklees.gov.uk
or call in person at:
Batley Resource Centre, 90 Commercial Street, Batley, WF17 5DS
or
Cleckheaton Town Hall, Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, BD19 3RH
or
The Walsh Building, Town Hall Way, Dewsbury, WF12 8EQ
or
30 Market Street, Huddersfield, HD1 2HG
The staff at Gateway to care will first check that you are eligible to receive a service. If you are eligible, they will arrange for someone from Children & Young People Service or Adult Services to do an assessment of your needs, depending on who the adaptation is for. If the adaptation to your home meets the council’s guidelines, they will send a recommendation to the Housing and Health Unit.
What Housing and Health Unit do next
After they receive a referral from Children & Young People Service or Adult Services, the Housing and Health Unit arranges your adaptation. They check the proposed adaptation is reasonable and practicable, given the age and condition of the property. They also deal with applications for Disabled Facilities Grants for adaptations and inspect the work after it has been carried out.
Paying for your adaptation
An adaptation for a child or young person is not means-tested. For further information about this please contact Housing and Health Unit.
An adaptation for an adult is means-tested. Housing and Health Unit carry out the means test. They assess whether you can afford to pay something towards the cost. If the cost of the work is less than £1,000, you won’t have to pay anything. If the work costs over £1,000, they will assess whether you can afford to pay something towards the cost. The means test applies to the disabled person and other person’s in your household.
The means test – for an adaptation for an adult
Housing and Health Unit look at the people in your household and at your income, savings and investments. They use the government guidelines to work out how much income you need. If your income is more than this, they work out how much you will have to pay towards the cost of your adaptation. They will ask you for proof of any income, savings and investments as part of this process. If you have to pay a contribution, you must sign an agreement to pay this before any work can be ordered or taken forward.
Homeowners and private tenants
If you are a homeowner or a private tenant you can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant to pay for the rest of the work. There is a maximum grant of £30,000, less any means-tested contribution you may have to pay and also less any necessary fees. The Housing and Health Unit will provide you with an application form and they can give you help to fill it in.
You need to agree to pay any contribution towards the cost and confirm you want to go ahead with the work. You will need to choose a contractor to do the work. If you wish, the Housing and Health Unit can help you with this. You will have to confirm who owns the home and complete an application form for the Disabled Facilities Grant, including proof of income and savings.
Sometimes you will also need to get building regulation approval and/or planning permission. If you need help with this, you can arrange for an architect or similarly qualified person to get it for you. Housing and Health Unit have a list of suitable people, known as agents, and recommend you employ them for any major work. You will have to pay their fees out of the Disabled Facilities Grant.
Once all this information has been sent to Housing and Health Unit and they have checked it, they will approve your grant. They will then write to you to confirm how much grant you will get. You, or your agent, can then arrange for the contractor to start work. You must not start any adaptations work until you have received Disabled Facilities Grant approval.
When the work is finished, a surveyor from the Housing and Health Unit will inspect the work for payment. If the work is satisfactory, they will pay the contractor or agent direct.
Council tenants
If you are a council tenant, the council will meet the cost above any means-tested contribution you may have to pay for adaptations up to £30,000. If the adaptation will cost more than this they will discuss it with you.
The Housing and Health Unit surveyor will arrange for the council’s Building Services or a specialist company to do the work. If you have to pay something towards the cost, they will send you a bill once the work has been completed. Details of how to pay will be on the bill.
How long it takes
The time it takes varies depending on the work. Once Children & Young People Service or Adult Services have done an assessment, adaptations under £1,000 are usually completed in a few weeks. Larger jobs will take longer. Once your grant has been approved, Housing and Health Unit will be able to give you an idea of how long the work should take.
If you need further adaptations
Contact the Gateway to care for another assessment.
Maintenance of adaptations
Once an adaptation is completed and paid for, the owner of the property is responsible for maintenance and looking after the equipment. If you are a council tenant, the council will normally arrange for repairs caused by wear and tear. Housing and Health Unit offer a stairlift maintenance programme paid for as part of the grant when the stairlift is first installed.
Help and advice
If you need help in completing forms or any advice on adaptations, get in touch with the Housing and Health Unit. They will be happy to help, and sometimes they can arrange an appointment at their office or for someone to call at your home.
Contact Information
Housing and Health Unit
6 Silver Court
Aspley
Huddersfield
HD5 9AG
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