East Suffolk’s disabled residents miss out on £250,000 a year
The money's set aside for home adaptations
Last updated 3rd Jan 2023
More than £250,000 from a fund allowing disabled people in Suffolk to adapt their homes has been left unspent each year.
East Suffolk Council underspent its disabled facilities grant funding by more than £250,000 in the financial year 2020/21 and almost £400,000 in 2021/22, a trend that may be reversed by cutting means testing.
The money left over from the Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) budget after first quarter of 2022/23 was over £1 million, a figure that will decrease as more is spent in the final three quarters.
DFGs enable home adaptations for people with physical and learning disabilities, terminal illnesses, progressive conditions like motor neurone disease, cognitive impairments like dementia and mental health or age-related needs.
They're provided by the Better Care Fund, pooled budgets between the NHS and local authorities.
A report to be brought by Cllr Richard Kerry to the cabinet today explains this funding will be decreased if underspends continue, “which would be detrimental to future years as we know there is a growing level of need in the population for adaptations”.
The report recommends cutting down means testing and combining three separate DFGs into one “to maximise expenditure to better meet need”.
Two of these three grants are currently only given after an application to a means-tested DFG. The combined grant would not require this.
A means-tested DFG of up to £30,000 would still be available for those who need more money.
According to the report, just three of the 198 grants approved in the financial year 2021/22 were above £15,000 – so it is likely most people would not need a means test.
East Suffolk Council’s cabinet will discuss the proposed changes to the DFG process at 6.30 pm today.