Agenda item

(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 that the DFG was transformational for many individuals, significantly improving their quality of life.

The committee was asked for its views and comments on the options presented within the presentation. The committee proceeded to ask questions and debate the agenda item and in summary, the following matters were raised.

1. A question was asked about the difference between mandatory and discretionary grants.
2. Further clarification was sought regarding the breakdown of reasons for cancellations.
3. A question was raised about the potential benefits of not means testing up to a lower point, such as £5,000, to simplify the process for small but significant adaptations.
4. Clarification was requested on how discretionary grants were decided, particularly in cases where the cost exceeded the mandatory grant limit or when there was a sudden change in circumstances.
5. Further questions were asked about the logistics and administration of means testing, including the potential for delays and staffing costs.
6. A question was asked about the potential collaboration with other organisations regarding top-up grants and preventing pressure on the NHS.
7. Clarification was sought on the impact of the policy on the number of applications and the budget, and whether the policy would be reviewed annually or set for a longer period.
8. A question was asked about the internal checks and balances for assessing applications and whether there would be any changes to this process under the new policy.
9. Further information was requested regarding the consistency and transparency of applying for discretionary grants, ensuring that the process was perceived as fair and equitable.

These points were responded to by Karen Thorburn, Service Lead - Strategic Housing, Amanda Cox, Housing Occupational Therapist, Lewis Sellen, Senior Disabled Facilities Grant Case Officer and Simon Hendey, Strategic Director accordingly.

It was noted that a report regarding this item would be presented to a future meeting of the Cabinet Committee: Housing and that this committee's comments would be used to inform that report.

RESOLVED:

1.    The committee noted that a change to the policy regarding means-testing was appropriate to ensure that the funding was targeted to those most in need.

2.    The committee noted that option three had the potential downside of providing support to those who could contribute a significant amount themselves whilst option two, allowed "boundary" cases to be considered and so enabled funds to be used more beneficially.

3.    The committee agreed to ask the Cabinet Member to consider the points raised during its discussion.