Councillors gave the go-ahead to new plans to enable disabled and vulnerable people in the borough to make adaptions to their homes and access additional services so they can live more independently, following a recent cabinet meeting.  

Thanks to the new discretionary policy and use of reserves fund at the council, disabled people will be able to make more adaptions to their home than previously allowed.  

Councillor Andrew Judge, Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable Development, said: “Thanks to our prudent financial management, we will be able to be more generous than the government guidelines allow. It means local people with disabilities will be able to spend extra on making their home more suitable to their needs.”  

Councillor Peter McCabe, who is the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, added: “This investment will mean more disabled people will be able to live fuller, more independent lives and will meet our commitment to create a fairer, more inclusive borough.”  

Previously the means tested mandatory grant that enables people with disabilities to have adaptations installed in their homes was set at £30,000 by legislation.  

The new Housing Assistance Policy will allow qualifying applicants to access additional grant funding above the current legal limit.

This will help the Council meet the needs of elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents living in inappropriate or inaccessible housing, where adaptations can improve accessibility of the accommodation and their health and wellbeing.  

The new policy will also enable grant assistance to be targeted on services that reduce delayed discharges from hospital and avoid unnecessary admission to hospital or residential care.  

The Council will announce in the autumn how applicants can access the new more generous grant.