Ombudsman takes councils to task over Disabled Facilities Grants processes

People with disabilities “are being left for too long in unsuitable homes” because of problems with councils’ Disabled Facilities Grants processes, the Local Government Ombudsman has warned.

In a report issued this week, Making a house a home: local authorities and disabled adaptations, the LGO said failures with grants processes could have a significant impact on people’s daily lives. The Ombudsman claimed these processes were often “beset by delay”.

The report noted how in one case a married couple was separated for a number of weeks over Christmas because the work on their home was poorly managed and carried out.

In another case, a man waited 18 months longer than he should have for an accessible shower and had to wash in his kitchen sink, because the work was delayed and the council failed to chase it up.

Dr Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman, said: “Housing adaptations are not just about providing the simple ‘bricks and mortar’ changes, but about giving independence and dignity to people with disabilities. Relatively simple changes, like accessible showers or doorways, can make a huge difference to peoples’ quality of life.

“These adaptations must be provided by housing services departments, but my experience shows many people are being let down. The stories in my report are typical of problems we see with housing adaptation complaints, and we want authorities to learn from our findings.”

The report covers:

• The background to Disabled Facilities Grants;
• Delivering the grants – roles and responsibilities;
• The process – common issues and complaints;
• Getting things right first time;
• Scrutiny and the role of councillors;
• The role of the Ombudsman –dealing with complaints;
• Appendices: summary of the DFG process; who pays? Grants and funding.

A copy of the report can be found here.