Watford Borough Council

A grant can be used for adaptations to give you more independence and better movement into and around your home and/or to provide essential facilities within it. Examples of the types of work include:

• widening doors and installing ramps
• providing or improving access to rooms and facilities - for example, by installing a stair lift and/or providing a level access shower instead of a bath
• adapting heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use
• making the building safe

For a complete list, please view the "Disabled facilities grant - further information" page.

An occupational therapist (OT) will look at your circumstances and can recommend the type of adaptation(s) needed. Following this initial appointment, someone from the council will visit you to make sure the works proposed by the OT are reasonable and practical.

We will then carry out a financial assessment – or ‘means test’ to check whether you are required to make a contribution. This will apply to all grant applicants except children under the age of 16 or young persons under the age of 19 and not in advanced education or receipt of income support.

The maximum grant we can offer is £30,000.

If you are a tenant of a housing association we encourage you to contact your housing association before contacting the council because they also have an obligation to provide adaptations but you will not normally have to be means tested.

To start the process, please contact Herts County Council on tel: 0300 123 4042 and ask for an Occupational Therapist assessment. You can also complete a preliminary enquiry form – attached below – and return it to the Private Sector Housing Team, Watford Borough Council, Town Hall, Watford, WD17 3EX;  fax it to us on tel: 01923 278335 or email it to us using the address at the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions, please call us on tel: 01923 278148.

Please note, you must not start any work before you have received written confirmation of grant approval as a grant cannot be paid for works already commenced or completed.