FOI request (FOIR-330306999)

Disabled Facilities Grants

Requested Thu 29 April 2021
Responded  Wed 19 May 2021

Please send me answers to the following questions:

1. What was your Disabled Facilities Grant budget for the period from 1st April 2019 to 31 March 2020?

2. What proportion of the budget mentioned above was spent on DFGs during the period from 1st April 2019 to 31 March 2020?

3. How many applications for DFGs did you receive in the period from 1st April 2019 to 31 March 2020?

4. How many applications for DFGs did you receive from people living with motor neurone disease in the period from 1st April 2019 to 31 March 2020?

5. What proportion of DFG applications received during the period from 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020 received a decision within the nationally recommended target timescale of 6 months?

6. What proportion of approved DFG applications received during the period from 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020 received funding within the nationally recommended target timescale of 1 year?

7. Do you currently have a fast track application process in place to provide DFG funding more rapidly to applicants with urgent needs? If yes, what are the eligibility criteria to access this process?

8. How many applications were made under the fast track process (if applicable) during the period from 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020, and how many of these were approved?

9. Are there any circumstances in which the DFG mandatory means test is waived and if so what are those circumstances? (for example, for adaptations under a certain cost or of a certain type)

10. How many applications for DFGs did you receive in the period from 1st April 2020 to 31 March 2021?

11. What proportion of DFG applications completed during the period from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021 received a decision within the nationally recommended target timescale of 6 months?

12. What proportion of approved DFG applications completed during the period from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021 received funding within the nationally recommended target timescale of 1 year?

13. Do you currently provide a single point of contact for applicants to approach for information and guidance during the process of applying for and receiving DFG funding?

14. Do you currently have an accessible housing register for your local authority area that is publicly available?

If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.

I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20 working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.

Response

1. £1,812,584.00

2. £1,077,556.99

3. 97 completed applications were received

4. Information not held

5. 100%

6. 100%

7. Yes, only via request from OT, Referral received with a covering email or letter from the OT to advise it is a Fast Track

8. 1 Fast Track Stair lift Application which was approved

9. Stair Lift Applications under £5,000 if Client has a Contribution

10. 71 completed Applications were received

11. 100%

12. 100%

13. Applicants are advised to contact the Hastings Borough Council Grants Officer at any stage during the DFG Process. If the Grant is overseen by the Adaptations Service then the applicant may contact them also.

14. We don't have a separate accessible housing register, but people who require an accessible property can join our housing register https://www.hastings.gov.uk/housing/social_housing/ providing they meet the criteria as set out in our Homemove Allocation Scheme 2018 https://www.hastings.gov.uk/content/housing/social_housing/469732/Allocations_Scheme_2017. See page 17 - 'Mobility Level' in how we deal with properties for applicants with restricted mobility.