Issue - meetings

1.    That the Disabled Facilities Grant policy for 2025-2030 be approved, as set out in Appendix 1 of report CAB3521(H).

2. That authority be delegated to the Corporate Head of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities, to make minor changes or those linked to legislative change to the DFG policy 2025-2030.

Councillor Becker introduced the report outlining the statutory policy, noting it was designed to address evolving challenges, budgetary constraints, and recommendations from an internal audit.  The draft policy had been considered by the Economy and Housing Policy Committee on 11 February 2025 and the comments from that meeting had been reflected in the report.

Councillor Becker, the Strategic Director and the Service Lead – Strategic Housing then responded to questions and comments raised by councillors as summarised below:

a)    A suggestion was made to disregard military compensation for veterans during the means testing process. In response, it was advised that the council would consider the proposal and make a recommendation once due diligence on the financial implications had been undertaken.

b)    Further clarification was sought regarding the financial implications of Paragraph 2.5 of the report.

c)    Clarification was sought on how and where the new policy would be reviewed and amended going forward.

d)    Further details were requested on how adaptations were handled within council housing stock.

e)    Whether there was a contingency fund for failures of adaptations and the importance of client communication was emphasised.

f)     Whether there was any provision of support for individuals who did not qualify for the Top-Up Grant following the means test.

g)    Further details of the methods used for assessing individuals with slowly degenerative conditions and specifically whether this would include adapting to changing requirements.

The Cabinet Committee agreed the following for the reasons set out above and outlined in the report.

RESOLVED:

1.              That the Disabled Facilities Grant policy for 2025-2030 be approved, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

2.              That authority be delegated to the Corporate Head of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities, to make minor changes or those linked to legislative change to the DFG policy 2025-2030.

(Presentation slides to follow)

Councillor Chris Westwood, Cabinet Member for Housing introduced the agenda item which set out proposals for the Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG): Policy Review, (available here). The introduction included the following points.

1. The Disabled Facilities Grant was a mandatory grant aimed at supporting people of all ages to live independently and safely within their own homes. Local authorities had a statutory duty to provide DFGs to eligible applicants.
2. The current DFG policy was agreed in March 2023 however despite the unchanged amount of DFG received since August 2019, there had been an increase in DFG applications and approvals.
3. The Council had historically underspent on DFGs, building up a reserve, however, it was now spending its full allocation.
4. If customer demand continued and DFG funding remained unchanged, the Council would exhaust its funds by the financial year 2027/28, potentially leading to a waiting list for approved applications.
5. The officer presentation would outline options to change the DFG policy to better meet the needs of vulnerable residents within Winchester and ensure the best value for money.
6. The committee's views and comments were sought on the proposed options before finalising the revised DFG policy and presenting it to cabinet for a decision next year.

Karen Thorburn, Service Lead - Strategic Housing provided a presentation (available here) which provided the committee with an overview of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) Policy Review options. Several points were raised including the following:

1. The DFG funding flowed from central government to Hampshire County Council and then to Winchester City Council. It was a capital grant available to all ages across private sector housing tenures but excluded Winchester City Council tenants who were funded through the housing revenue account.
2. The grant's purpose was to enable eligible disabled individuals, as defined by the Act, to live safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.
3. Applications for the grant were made to the Council, either via Hampshire County Council or directly to Winchester City Council's housing occupational therapist.
4. The most common adaptations funded by the DFG were wet rooms.
5. Once an application was approved, it passed to the Grant officer who ensured the works were reasonable and practical, considering the property's condition and the proportionality of work costs.
6. There was a need to review the DFG policy to reflect the budget and increasing demands.
7. Over the past four years, applications and approved grants had risen, and the average cost of works had increased, while the grant allocations had remained the same.
8. Three options for policy change were presented for consideration, each with its advantages, disadvantages, and potential impacts on the Council's ability to fulfil its duties and manage the DFG budget effectively.

Councillor Caroline Horrill addressed the committee and emphasised the need for transparency in the Council's actions and clarity on the maximum grant amounts and their implications. Councillor Horrill highlighted the importance of understanding the types of requests and levels of spending to better grasp the current situation and stressed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6