Aids and Adaptations 2025-2030 policy Consultation
We are reviewing our policy around financial support for aids and adaptations to residential housing, including grants that help residents adapt and repair their homes to live safely and independently.
We want your views on proposed changes to make support fairer, clearer and better suited to residents’ needs.
Overview
The Council provides financial support through Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) and discretionary grants to help residents remain safe and independent at home. The Council is introducing a Housing Assistance Policy to set out how residents can access these grants.
The new policy will:
Increase some grant limits in line with rising costs
Introduce new grants to support a wider range of needs
Replace the existing Dementia Grant with a broader Progressive Illness Grant
Remove fees charged to applicants
Provide clearer guidance on how support is delivered
These changes aim to support residents with disabilities, long-term health conditions and those at risk of unsafe living conditions, while aligning with wider objectives around health, independence and prevention of hospital admissions.
For full details of all proposed changes, please see the 'Important documents' linked on this page.
At a glance what this means
Private sector
A summary of changes of the grants applicable to the private sector can be seen in the table below:
Current Discretional Grants | Proposed Discretional Grants: |
|---|---|
| Changes to existing grants: | |
| Adaptations Assistance Grant, currently up to £10,000. | Adaptations Assistance Grant, increase level to £15,000 and increased savings allowance to £23,250 |
Hospital Discharge Grant (no details provided in current policy) | Hospital Discharge Grant (£2,500 limit and clear outline of what the grant will provide, this is a remaining grant) |
Relocation Grant (£1500 limit) | Relocation Grant (£5000 limit subject to council funds) |
| Minor Works Grant (£2,500 limit) | Minor Works Grant, increase of limit to £3,000 |
| Dementia Grant (£2,500 limit) | Removed for progressive illness grant |
New grants: | |
Discretionary “Top-up Grant” (to support with costs of over the maximum DFG grant of £30,000) | |
Client Contribution Support Grant, to support with Means Tested Contributions up to £10,000 | |
Healthy Homes Grant up to £15,000 | |
Progressive Illness Grant (up to £15,000) |
Introduction of Local Land Charges can be used to enable a partial recovery of the grant funding where the recipient owns and the property is sold within a specific period of time.
The policy will also include a Special Consideration under section 343 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 as amended by section 8 of the Armed Forces Act 2021. The Council must consider the Armed Forces Covenant when allocating disabled facilities grants and may offer special consideration for veterans in certain situations.
Council tenants
For people living in council housing, we are introducing a new policy to support the delivery of major and minor adaptations within our housing stock.
This new policy for council housing will offer:
Clear eligibility criteria for adaptations which clearly defines what the council will and will not provide.
Consistent framework for assessing need and prioritising cases
Integration of services with Occupational Therapy Assessments being carried out by trusted assessors to reduce waiting times and delivering essential adaptations quicker.
Delivery standards and timescales for completing works
Alignment with the council’s wider housing and adult social care strategies
- For minor adaptations the limit will be £2,500 and for major adaptations it will be £30,000 (in line with the grants available for private sector tenures)
For more details see the aids and adaptation policy here.
Please note: Council tenants can apply for DFGs. However, if they do so, they will be subject to means testing as set out in the legislation and restrictions on how DFG funding can be spent.
What options were available to us?
- Do nothing. The existing DFG policy does not allow flexibility or the ability to respond to the difficulties people face, and if we do not update it, this will increase social care costs as well as not meeting residents needs.
- Introduce a clearer housing assistance policy. The council will be able to manage the overall budget and provide more adaptations so more council tenants are able to benefit.
Why are we engaging?
We want to make sure the policies:
- Meet the needs of residents now and in the future
- Are fair, transparent and easy to understand
- Provide support in the right situations
Your feedback will directly help shape the final Housing Assistance Policy and the new Aids and Adaptation policy.
Who do we want to hear from?
We want to hear from a broad range of residents and stakeholders to ensure our work reflects the diverse needs of the community and that services such as the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) are accessible to everyone with an identified need, not just those with physical disabilities.
We want to particularly hear from:
- Anyone with an interest in housing
- Residents who may need home adaptations or repairs or have had in the past
- Carers and family members
- Older residents
- Professionals supporting residents (e.g. health, housing, social care)
- People with mental health conditions
- Young adults that are neurodivergent
How can you get involved?
Online:
Read through the proposed Housing Assistance Policy and Aids and Adaptations Policy and share your views via the consultation questionnaires below.
We want to ensure that everyone can give feedback in a way that reflects their experiences and knowledge, so we have created three separate surveys as part of this consultation to make sure questions are relevant and accessible.
- General Public Survey - For residents, carers, family members and anyone with an interest in housing support and home adaptations. This survey seeks views on the proposed policy changes.
- Professional Stakeholder Survey - For professionals and organisations involved in housing, health, social care, occupational therapy, home adaptations and related services. This survey seeks expert views on how the proposed policies could work in practice and how services can be improved.
- Easy Read Survey - For people with learning disabilities and others who may benefit from a more accessible format. This survey uses simpler language and accessible design to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to share their views.
Take part in our focus group. If you are interested in attending, please let us know by emailing consult@hounslow.gov.uk
| Location | Time and Date |
|---|---|
| Heston Community Centre, Vicarage Farm Rd, Heston, Hounslow TW5 0EE | Tuesday, 21 July 2026 at 15:00-17:00 |
Visit us at our upcoming drop in sessions in Hounslow House, 7 Bath Rd, Hounslow TW3 3EB. See table below:
| Time and Date |
|---|
| Wednesday 15 July 2026, 9am -11am |
| Wednesday 22 July 2026, 9am - 11am |
| Tuesday 28 July 2026, 9am - 5pm |
We will be visiting different voluntary and community groups who support disabled people including Speak Out Hounslow and the Hounslow Age and Disability Network over the summer. Check back here for the dates and times.
Paper copies of the consultation will be available at Hounslow House and in all Hounslow libraries.
An accessible, Easy Read version of the policy can be found here and in the important documents section.
If you need a paper copy, large print version or require a translation, please email consult@hounslow.gov.uk or call 020 8583 2000.
This consultation will be open until 21 August 2026.
What happens next?
After the consultation closes all feedback will be reviewed and analysed and an engagement evaluation report produced. The outcomes of the consultation will be published on this page, and updates shared via email and resident communications.
The findings will inform the development of the final Housing Assistance Policy and Aids and Adaptations Policy, to be considered by the Director of Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing Management & Homelessness as well as the Executive Director of Adults and Children consulting with the Cabinet Member for Adults.
Your input will play an important role in shaping how housing support is delivered in the future.
