Skip to content

HHIA Logo2

Hertfordshire Home Improvement Agency

Adaptations and support to enable independence

  • About us
  • Disabled Facilities Grant
  • Contact us

Who are the Hertfordshire Home Improvement Agency?

We are a partnership of six districts across Hertfordshire who work together to install major home adaptations for people using the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG).

We work on behalf of the following district and borough councils:

  • Broxbourne Borough Council
  • East Herts Council
  • North Hertfordshire District Council
  • Stevenage Borough Council
  • St Albans City and District Council
  • Watford Borough Council

If you do not live in one of the districts that we cover, please contact Adult Care services, who will be able refer you to the correct place. 

Disabled Facilities Grant

The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a means tested grant where money can be awarded to help people who want to remain in their own homes but require adaptations to access their property safely.

The Disabled Facilities Grant can used on privately owned properties, rented properties or Housing Association properties. 

Examples of the major adaptations we can help with are: 

  • Level access showers 
  • Stairlifts 
  • Hoists 
  • Ramps 
  • Through floor lifts 
  • Level threshold doors 
  • Automatic doors 
  • Dropped kerbs/hardstanding's 
  • Door widening 

The DFG covers works between £1,000 and £30,000 for those who qualify.  When you apply for a DFG, one of our caseworkers will help you complete a financial assessment to determine if you are eligible for a grant. 

If you are living in a Housing Association property, permission for work to be carried out will be required from the Housing Association prior to being placed on our waiting list. We or your occuptional therapist will obtain this on your behalf.

We can also assist with home adaptations for people being discharged from the hospital through the Discharge to Assess (D2A) program, which promotes quicker hospital discharges by completing necessary changes to your home.

 

How to apply for the Disabled Facilities Grant?

To apply for a DFG, an Occupational Therapist (OT) assessment is needed

To request an assessment:

Contact Adult Care Services on 0300 123 4042 or for a Child’s case contact 01923 470680 (Option 3).

Or you can email to: 

seeandsolve.west@hertfordshire.gov.uk and seeandsolve.east@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Once the assessment has been completed and a need for a major adaption to your home is found, your occupational therapist will complete a referral to the relevant department depending on the district/property.

 

What happens once we receive a referral?

Our experienced team of caseworkers, technical officers and staff will help you get the right adaptations to your home to meet your needs.

We can help you by:

  • Advising you on your eligibility and completing any forms for a DFG application.
  • Applying for grants.
  • Getting quotes from our approved and experienced contractors.
  • Checking tenders, and appointing a contractor.
  • Planning and building control applications.
  • Project managing works from start to finish.
  • Ensuring the work is completed to your satisfaction.

We will charge a 15% fee for the work we do on your behalf. This will be calculated on the cost of works and will be subject to VAT. There is no additional charge to you as the cost is taken directly from the grant. We can provide further details of what this cost is likely to be once we know more about the work you require. 

When we receive your referral, we will create a casefile for you, and you'll receive your own unique reference code, along with a preliminary means test to fill in. Please quote the reference code whenever you contact the us, as this will allow us to easily assist with any questions you have. Once your casefile is created you are automatically placed on our waiting list to be allocated to a caseworker who will support you with the DFG application and any work on your home that is carried out as a result.

 

What is the DFG means test?

The means test considers income, savings, benefits, and age. It applies to individuals and couples, so if you live with a partner, we'll assess both incomes to determine your eligibility.

There may not be a need for us to complete a financial assessment in all cases, but we will still need to complete the initial paperwork with you.

Once the means test is completed there are three potential outcomes:

  • Eligible
  • Eligible with a contribution from you (the amount will vary depending on the result of the means test). In this instance, you will need to pay your contribution before we assign a technical officer.
  • Exceeds the grant amount (this means that your assessed contribution exceeds the estimated cost of works)

A means test might not be needed if:

  • It's for a child under 18
  • If you're receiving a means-tested benefit like Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. We'll need evidence of these benefits before processing your application, and the DFG paperwork will still be required.

If you own your own property and receive a DFG over £5,000, a condition of the grant will require a proportional repayment of the grant in some circumstances. In these cases, we will register a local land charge against your property for the repayment. If this is applicable, your caseworker will explain the process to you.

Who does what?

Your caseworker

  • Will complete the means test to determine if you are eligible for a grant
  • Complete the DFG paperwork to allow us to apply for the grant on your behalf.
  • If you require a stairlift or a hoist, the caseworker will obtain quotes and place the order for it to be installed. If any other works are required, they will place you on the waiting list for a technical officer.

Technical officer

  • Will visit your home to measure and complete the drawings and designs for the works.
  • Complete a schedule and send it out to tender with our contactor.
  • Complete a tender analysis and award the contract.
  • Arrange a pre-start meeting between you and the contractor.
  • Oversee the works.
  • Complete a sign off.

Contact us

Any questions for us or about the Disabled Facilities Grants? 

Contact our team:

Phone: 01438 843467
Monday to Friday 9am - 4.30pm

Email: HHIA@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Post:
Hertfordshire Home Improvement Agency
SFAR:234
Hertfordshire County Council 
Farnham House 
Six Hills Way
Stevenage 
SG1 2FQ

 

 

Rate this page

Cookies

Like many other websites, we place small information files called 'cookies' on your computer.

Why do we use cookies?

To remember your settings, for example your language and location. This means you don’t have to keep entering these details when you visit a new page.

To find out how you use the site to help us update and improve it.

How do I change my cookie settings?

You can change the settings of your web browser so that it won’t accept cookies. For more information visit AboutCookies.org.

But, doing this may stop you from using some of the online features and services on this website. 

Cookies we use

Cookies do a lot of different jobs, and we use 2 types of cookies:

Required functionality cookies – these cookies are essential for the website to work.

Performance and feature cookies – these cookies help to improve the performance and feel of this website, for example providing you with personalised services.


Take a look at a list of cookies we use on our website:

NameTypeHow we use itHow long we use the information for
Name

ASP.Net_Sessions

 

Type

Required functionality

How we use it

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

How long we use the information for

Just for the time you are on our website.

Name

ServerID

 

Type

Required functionality

How we use it

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

How long we use the information for

Just for the time you are on our website.

Name

_ga

Type

Required functionality

How we use it

To track the effectiveness of our website using Google Analytics. 

How long we use the information for

2 years

Name

saved-pages

Type

Performance and feature

How we use it

To save the pages that you visit by clicking the heart at the top of the page. 

How long we use the information for

1 month

Name

geoPostcode

Type

Performance and feature

How we use it

This stores your postcode (or partial postcode) when we ask you for your location.

How long we use the information for

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

Name

geoCoordinates

Type

Performance and feature

How we use it

This stores your location as a pair of latitude / longitude coordinates.

How long we use the information for

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

Name

reckonerName-history

Type

Performance and feature

How we use it

This keeps a history of all answers submitted to the ready reckoner.

How long we use the information for

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

Name

reckonerName-content

Type

Performance and feature

How we use it

This keeps a history of what content cards are clicked on when using the ready reckoner.

How long we use the information for

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

Name

SQ_SYSTEM_SESSION

Type

Required functionality

How we use it

This used to track user sessions on forms hosted on eservices.hertfordshire.gov.uk

How long we use the information for

Just for the time you are on our website.


Third party cookies

There are links and content from other sites and services on our website. These sites and services set their own cookies.

Below are a list of cookies that the other sites and services use:

Service namePurposeMore information
Service name

Google analytics (_utma/b/c/z)

Purpose

These are used to compile reports for us on how people use this site.

Cookies of the same names are also used for the same purpose by other websites such as Building FuturesCountryside Management Service and Hertfordshire LIS.

More information

Visit the Google Analytics website for more information about the cookies they use.

You can prevent data from being collected and used by Google Analytics by installing Google's Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Service name

Google Translation - googtrans

Purpose

This cookie is used to remember which language to translate each page into if you have chosen to do so.

More information

It expires at the end of your browser session.

Service name

Bing

Purpose

We use a Bing cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

More information

Visit Bing to find out more about their cookies.

Service name

Google

Purpose

We use a Google cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

More information

Visit Google to find out more about their cookies.

Service name

Facebook

Purpose

We have a number of presences on Facebook, which we may link to. Facebook may set some of its own cookies if you follow these links.

More information

Visit Facebook to find out more about their cookies.

Service name

Twitter

Purpose

We have a number of presences and feeds on Twitter, which you may wish to follow or read from this website. Twitter may set some of its own cookies.

More information

Visit Twitter to find out more about their cookies.

Service name

YouTube

Purpose

We have a YouTube channel, which we may link to. YouTube may set some of its own cookies if you follow those links.

More information

Visit YouTube to find out more about their cookies.

Service name

Netloan

Purpose

This ASP.NET_Sessionid cookie is essential for the Netloan secure online payments website to work, and is set when you arrive to the site. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.

More information

 

Service name

HotJar

Purpose

This session cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the sample which is used to generate funnels.

More information

Visit HotJar to find out more about their cookies.

Service name

Siteimprove

Purpose

These cookies are set to help us report on how people are using the site so we can improve it.

More information

Visit Siteimprove to learn more about their cookies.