Extra help for disabled

Jan 16 2008 by Neil Atkinson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

OLDER and disabled people in Huddersfield will benefit from an extra £11.5m for home adaptations to help them live independently in their homes, Communities Minister Baroness Andrews announced.

They will benefit from a £92,000 grant allocated to Kirklees Council.

The funding will help councils ramp up their Disabled Facilities Grant programme until the end of March.

The programme already helps around 35,000 disabled and older people live safely and independently in their home each year by making adaptations such as wheelchair ramps, stair lifts and downstairs bathrooms.

Baroness Andrews said: “The Disabled Facilities Grant provides domestic adaptations that make a huge difference to the quality of life of older and disabled people.

“Every year the Grant helps thousands of people live comfortably and safely in their own homes.”

The highly successful programme has seen its funding more than double from £57m in 1997 to £126m this year. This now increases to £138m.

Applicants can receive grant up to £25,000 for adaptations.