Home adaptations make carrying out daily activities easier and safer if you have a disability. They can include things such as:
- Installing a stair lift or through floor lift
- Widening doorways
- Constructing a concrete ramp
- Adapting kitchens
- Fitting a level access shower or shower cubicle.
All requests for adaptations will require an assessment by Adult Social Care.
If we identify that your home may require adaptations due to your assessed needs, what happens next will depend on your tenancy.
We have recently updated our home adaptations guide which can help you understand how requests for disability equipment and home adaptations are managed in Newham. You can read this here.
Owner Occupiers, Registered Social Landlords
If the recommendation made by a Occupational Therapist for adaptations is approved, it will be referred to the Home Adaptations for Independent Living (HAIL) Team.
There will be a financial assessment to determine how much Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) you may be entitled to.
This means that the amount you pay towards the cost of any adaptation work will depend on your income and any savings you have, not on the overall cost of the work.
To get an initial estimate of the possible contribution that you may need to make towards the cost of the adaptation works please use the DFG calculator.
DFG calculator - get an estimation of your contribution
You can save your progress on the calculator with your email address and a password to return to it later.
Once you have an estimate of your contribution, if you wish to proceed, please contact Adult Social Care for an assessment. This is usually carried out by an Occupational Therapist, who will identify the difficulties that you are having and confirm what adaptations are both necessary and appropriate.
Military Veterans
Newham disregard all income from Military Compensation when assessing benefit eligibility for Veterans. This includes: all income payments made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (2005), the War Pension Scheme, Service Invaliding Pensions and Service Attributable pensions.
Council Tenants
If the recommendation for adaptations is approved, the work will be carried out by the council. You will not have to pay a contribution towards it.
Home Adaptations for Children
We will carry out an assessment as explained above, however there is no financial assessment for families of disabled children under 18.
You must apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant before you start any work.
Self-funding Home Adaptations
You can also choose to self-fund and make your own arrangements for your home adaptations.
You may wish to fund the home adaptations from your savings, equity release schemes or applying to charitable funds.
If you wish to do this it is important to note that we will not reimburse you the cost of the work.
Customer Satisfaction
"The team from Home Adaptations were brilliant, helping with every step from the beginning to the end. Mr Birdi was very helpful and understanding, answering every question. The bathroom adaptation has made mum's life more easy and safe!"
- Mrs T.M
