If you are in search of guidance for getting information about grants given for stairlifts near you, then you are landing in the right spot. Making changes in your house is essential. Significantly when you are growing old or if you have become permanently disabled because of media reasons or a severe accident. Making changes to your home is no doubt important, it is an exciting experience but at the same time, you must know that it is very much expensive and not all of us can afford it.
Now you don’t have to worry about the cost as you can get help from your local councils in the format of disabled facilities grant. This grant from the local council can cover a wide range of various adaptations including the grants for stairlifts which we are going to discuss today.

What are disabled facility grants?

If you were worried about the cost of changing or altering your place and are not familiar with these kinds of grants then known this; the disabled facility grant is a certain amount that is provided by the local council of your area so that you can get complete assistance in covering the cost of changes to your home if you want to install stairlifts in case of disability of some sort.
You should know that the disabled facility grant can cover different types of alterations and changes. These include the changes that you make in the heating or the lighting system, the building of slopes or ramps, and of course the installation of stairlifts. A grant for stairlifts is substantial enough that it can cover the significant cost of having a stairlift fitted at your place. Now before you get too excited about all this, we would like you guys to read about the eligibility criteria, the application, the factors affecting the decision of the council, the time it would take, and many other aspects related to this particular grant!

Get to know if you are eligible for the grant!

The stairlift grant is only available to those families who have someone with a disability and reduced mobility. The grant can be directly given to a person who is disabled and can also be given to someone who lives with you. If you are renting out a property and a tenant is a disabled person, then you can also apply on behalf of them.
An interesting eligibility factor about the grant money is that you have to ensure that the property stays in your Name and ownership or a rental for at least five years. If you move out or sell out the place before five years, then you have to pay back the grant money to the council. You might have to pay back up to 10 grand if you move within ten years of issuance of the grant money that exceeds over five grands.
The local council will issue the grant so they would also check whether you are eligible for the grant or not. If the council does not agree that your property needs the alterations that you are applying for, then you won’t get the grant, so you have to make sure that you are applying by keeping in mind all these factors. The local council will also check whether you need these alterations that you have applied for if your property can go through these changes or not!
A crucial thing to be kept in mind is that you would not get any kind of grant and would not be eligible to ask for one if you have already started the work in your house. The grant can only be applied for before any work begins in your place. Even after you apply for the grant, you have to get permission before you can start the work and get it done.
If you want to apply for the stairlift grant, then you must ensure that you are through these eligibility parameters.

How to apply for a stairlift grant facility in 2020?

If you want to apply for the stairlift grant for your home, then you have to contact your local council for this application. The local council will direct you to the department of housing and environment health which will provide you with the grant application form. You should know that the application should be filled yourself if you are the applicant and also before any construction or alterations have begun at your place, or it will cancel your eligibility. If you have any confusion about filling the form, then you can always take help from the Home Improvement Agency.

Details asked in the stairlift grant application!

People usually ask us about the details that they have to enter in the application form so that they can prepare for them. The Grant application form will ask you details such as your Name or the Name of the applicant, the address where you want to make the alterations. You also have to describe the reasons for seeking the fund or help for the stairlift. You have to explain the reason in detail, why do you need a stairlift in your place. You have to tell the council about how your disability affects your day to day routine in the worst days. You have to explain to the council that the grant will help you with the cost of the stairlift.
The application will also ask you detailed questions about your finances; these questions will determine whether you are eligible to get a home stairlift grant for some cost of the stairlift or all of it. An applicant has to describe his outgoings and his day to day expenses before the council, along with the bank statement as proof of your current financial situation. In the form, you also have to mention if you have any savings, here you should know that the decision of the council would not be affected if you have less than six grand saved in your account or any safe place.
In the application form, you have to explain the complete details that your place has to go through for the installation of the stairlift. You also have to tell the council about the estimated cost of the work along with the cost of the stairlift. You have to attach two different quotations or estimates written from two different contractors or suppliers. You can get a free survey from any reputed builder. If you can’t find a contractor or supplier, you can also get help from the council as they would provide you with advice or contact details of a reliable contractor.

Factors that affect the decision of the council

Now, after submission of the application form, the council will consider it. The council will send off a team having a contractor/builder and environment health officer to your place for the survey so that they can check the feasibility of the changes that you have planned. The survey, the application form and the evidence that you have attached with the form will determine whether you would get a grant or not. Here are some of the other factors that can affect the stairlift grant decision.
● The grant is intended to pay the essential adaptations and changes in a place having disabled people in it. The council will check whether the work and the alterations are suitable for your mental health and your wellbeing. Maybe you have to get the opinion of an occupational therapist before you submit the application.
● The council will check whether the plan that you have submitted is an appropriate solution for your requirement or your need.
● Sometimes properties get old enough that they cannot withstand alterations and changes and the council will also check whether it is practical to carry out the work in the property.
● Based on documents and the form that you have submitted the council will decide whether you require financial assistance or not. The financial factor will be not taken into consideration if the person for which it is being applied for is less than 19 years of age. Also, you should know that the amount of the grant also depends on your financial position.

How long would it take to get a stairlift grant?

Disability can ruin one’s life, and it can be hard in the day to day activities for a person to mobilize himself or herself. You might be thinking about how long it would take for the council to grant the amount. You should know that submitting the application, collecting documents and surveys can take a decent amount of time. Furthermore, you should know that the processing time of the application also depends on the list or number of applications already submitted with the council. You would know about the estimated time when you submit the application.
In some cases, in which you have to get your work urgently done you can discuss the matter directly with the council. If your urgency or request looks genuine and eligible to the council, then they would treat your submitted application on a priority basis. The council can also advise you to take a shorter route to seek funding if they cannot prioritize your request at the earliest. If you want the grant, then you have to make sure that you don’t start the work until and unless the decision is made.
Usually, you would get a written response in not more than six months after you submit your application with the council. The written response will tell you about the decision of the council, whether the grant would be paid or not. The answer will also explain when you should start your work and when you would get the money if the case if the grant is accepted. If you are not eligible to get the grant, then you would also be notified with the reasons. In the case of rejection, you still might get some help with the cost of the stairlift as there are many charities offering support to disabled people. The council can refer your case to another source in case of rejection.

How much is the stairlift grant?

The size of the grant depends on many factors, including the cost of your work. The council will require estimates from two different suppliers, and based on these estimates, it can provide you with a full-fledge payment if you are declared as a low-income person or are underage. If you are somewhat financially stable but not that strong, then the council will take your income, bank statement and expenses into account and based on this information, it will provide you with a substantial amount of money.
The amount of the stairlift grant depends on the region of the United Kingdom in which you are living. There is no exact way of knowing what the amount of the grant would be, but commonly you should know that the amount lies between 25 to 36 grand. The amount issued by the council is always more than the cost of the stairlift so that the construction work can also be covered in the granted money.

Payment of the stairlift grant!

Now people usually ask us how the grant would be paid. Well, you should know that when the council issues the grants, it is paid in one go after the work has been completed. In some cases, you might get the grant in instalments as the work in your place is in progress. It only happens when you are very weak in terms of finances and cannot pay upfront for the alterations. The council, in some cases, can also pay the contractor directly and can deal with him so that you don’t go through any distress. The actual process of the payment is explained in the written response by the council and differs on a case to case basis.

For complaints and appeals!

When the council makes a decision, and you are not satisfied with it, then you can easily complain or appeal your concerns to the council, or you can also approach the local government for help. If you feel like the council has not treated you reasonably then, you can take help from the home improvement agency or can also seek help from other organizations that help the disabled people financially and with other means as well! For more details, you can contact your local council.