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Feature
Shaping the future of home adaptations
With a rising demand for home adaptations in the UK, Haela Pattemore focuses on the overstretched Disabled Facilities Grant system through an occupational therapy lens and reflects on how we can address some of the gaps.
I
n the UK there is a rising high demand for home adaptations. Due to an aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, people are needing to adapt their environment to live well at home.
In many cases, the Disabled Facilities Grant( DFG) serves a crucial role in providing the funding for adaptations such as ramps, stair lifts and wet rooms. Unfortunately, the system is overstretched, leaving people waiting months, and in many cases years, while their independence and wellbeing deteriorates.
The scale of the problem
The average waiting time for a DFG from assessment through to installation varies significantly, depending on each local authority. Some councils with better resources and staffing can process and complete applications within months, while others have delays resulting in average wait times of one year or more( NHS Confederation 2024), making it a true postcode lottery for applicants with equally urgent needs.
In addition, independent sources report that the official standard target time frame of 18 months, comprising six months to approve the application and 12 months to complete the works, is often exceeded substantially( Gayle et al 2022).
Additionally, a council study in London saw average assessment delays of 129 days in 2023,
© Tempura via Getty Images improving only to less than half by 2024( Russell 2024). And Manchester
City Council published a DFG governance report in 2024, saying the sharp rise in demand for major adaptations in Manchester in recent years meant that the 2024 – 25 DFG budget was already fully committed. As a result, the council is having to delay new assessments.
The report also found that work is not likely to be completed within the 12-month period, highlighting that individual needs will often have changed by then.
Impact on clients and families
Delays in receiving adaptations can have profound consequences on people’ s safety and wellbeing. Without access to suitable bathing facilities, accessible kitchens and the ability to access other parts of their home and community with step free access, individuals are faced with increased risk of falls, pressure damage and hospital admissions.
This often places additional pressure on families, causing them to compromise their own safety with risky manual handling or resorting to makeshift temporary solutions. The burden of living in a compromised way weighs heavy on the
D10 OTnews Extra March 2026