Adapting your home

This webpage covers:

• Why should I adapt my home?
• What adaptations could I get?
• How do I find out what adaptations will work for me?
• Can I get help with my specific needs?
• What can I do if I don’t get help to adapt my home?
• Can I get help with the cost of adapting my home?
• What are Disabled Facilities Grants and Mandatory Grants?
• Will I get help with maintaining any equipment I have?

You might want to consider making adaptations to your home if you are finding it harder to carry out everyday tasks — for example:

• answering the door
• managing stairs
• using the bathroom or toilet
• using kitchen equipment safely.

Sometimes you might need to consider larger adaptations, for example if you are having difficulties:

• getting in and out of your home
• moving around inside
• using parts of your home, such as the shower or kitchen.

If you are losing your sight or your hearing, or having problems with your memory, there is also a range of technology and equipment that could help you.

There are lots of ways your home can be adapted to meet your needs. Here are some examples:

Large adaptations

• installing a downstairs bathroom
• fitting a lift or stairlift
• widening doorways
• lowering worktops in the kitchen
• installing outdoor stair rails or a ramp

Small adaptations

• installing grab rails in a bathroom
• fitting a second banister on a staircase

Equipment

• riser-recliner chairs
• a bath seat or electric bath lift
• walking frames
• trolleys
• perching stools in your kitchen or shower
• safety equipment, such as pendants or alarms

Small kitchen aids

• kettle tippers
• easy-open can openers
• adapted cutlery.

There are lots of options, so it's a good idea to get expert advice. You can get a free assessment from your local council to work out what you might need and how to pay for it.

Contact the adult social services department of your local council and ask for an assessment by an occupational therapist (OT). You could also ask your GP or local Integrated Care Board. The assessment is free. You can find your council’s contact information at gov.uk/find-local-council.

If you think you might need help with your personal care, such as getting washed and dressed, ask your council for a care needs assessment. This is also free.

Who will help me decide?

An OT will visit you at home and assess your needs. Based on the assessment and what you tell them, the OT will recommend equipment and adaptations to make your life easier. The council has to provide equipment and adaptations that cost less than £1,000 for free. You may also be able to get help with costs for larger adaptations.

A care needs assessment may be carried out by a social worker. They may find that you qualify for additional support services, such as visiting care workers.

If you’re in hospital

Before you go home, the OT in the hospital might assess you and decide that you need some adaptations before you can return home safely.

If you need a larger piece of equipment or adaptation, they might refer you to the OT at your local social services department, who will assess you at home.

Small aids

You may have to buy some very small aids yourself, such as kettle tippers. You can use the self-assessment website Living Made Easy to find out about what’s available and where you can get it. 

You may need support due to a specific need – for example, if you are losing your sight or your hearing, or you have problems with memory loss. 

Organisations, such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), RNID or Sense, may be able to provide more in-depth advice about technology or adaptations. They offer equipment assessment services in some areas, in partnership with local authorities and community groups.

If you can’t find anything for your particular needs, some charities may be able to offer tailor-made solutions, for example Remap, Designability or Demand.

If you're turned down for a piece of equipment or an adaptation, you can complain. Start by asking the council about their complaints procedure. If you had an occupational therapy assessment, ask for a copy of this as well.

See our page Complaints about care and health services for more information.

Don’t be put off by the cost of different home adaptations. You might be able to get financial help to pay for them.

Small adaptations

If you have been assessed as needing an adaptation or equipment that costs less than £1,000 to buy and install, the local council must provide this free of charge.

If a hospital occupational therapist gives you any equipment so that you can go home safely from hospital, this should also be free.

Disabled Facilities Grants (England and Wales)

If you need an adaptation that costs more than £1,000 you may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). You can get an application form from your local council’s housing or environmental health department.

DFGs can’t be used to pay for work you’ve already had done. If you want to apply for a DFG, make sure you don’t start any work until it’s approved.

A DFG is means-tested. Your income and savings over £6,000 (and those of your partner, if you have one) will be taken into account when deciding how much you will get. The maximum grant available in England is £30,000. In Wales, the limit is £36,000.

If you qualify for means-tested benefits such as Pension Guarantee Credit or Housing Benefit, you won’t have to provide any additional financial information and the DFG should cover the full cost of the work, up to the limit where you live.

The council can choose to provide top-up grants in some cases.

Your local council may also have its own grants or loan schemes for adaptations, repairs and improvements. You can find their contact details at gov.uk/find-local-council.

Mandatory grants (Scotland)

If you own your own home, or rent from a private landlord, you could get extra money to fund adaptations to your home. These are called mandatory grants.

These grants come from the council and only pay for large changes to the structure of your home. For example, it would cover things like widening doors and fitting a ramp for wheelchair access, or replacing the bath with a shower.

To qualify:

• you must own or privately rent your home
• you, or someone you live with, must be disabled or have problems getting around
• your home must need to be changed so that it meets your needs, including accessibility needs, or the needs of someone you live with
• you must need help paying for the work.

Your care needs assessment will show a lot of this.

There is no upper limit to the cost of the work, or a maximum amount of grant you could get. But your local authority will check that the cost of the work is reasonable.

To apply for a grant, contact your local authority Social Work Services if you think you need a major adaptation. Find their details through your council – you can find their contact details at gov.uk/find-local-council.

Once the adaptation has been installed it belongs to you. That means that you are responsible for maintenance and repairs.

The council may pay for an extended warranty on some types of work (for example, a stairlift). If they don’t, you should arrange insurance for up to five years after the work is completed, or consider buying a warranty yourself because repair and maintenance work can be expensive.