Facilities Grants: How to maintain your independence if you feel it slipping away

There are many ways our home can be improved to help us live in the neighbourhood we know. But when we are managing our health while trying to figure out what we really need and how we'll pay for it, it can be too overwhelming to work through alone.

We want to introduce you to an organisation you might not have heard of before: Alliance Norse. They are appointed by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to help people tackle the big problems we face at home when mobility and daily life get difficult. They have also recently become sponsors of COGNEWS, along with their sister company n-able, helping us to reach more local residents with high-quality news and information. In future articles, we will highlight the remarkable ways these two organisations are helping people in Staffordshire Moorlands transform their everyday lives.

Today, we are talking about something of a secret. Alliance provides a local grant known as the Disabled Facilities Grant, or DFG for short. This means that for individuals who require assistance accessing their homes, such as a hoist for mobility, improved bathroom accessibility, or a stair lift to reach areas of the home that are no longer accessible, a DFG can make this possible, helping you live more independently for longer.

There is a process to follow as you might expect, and Alliance are able to help you navigate your way through either for your own or a loved one’s needs. Here’s what will happen if you decide to apply:

• Firstly, contact Alliance Norse (0300 373 0199 (option 3) or email alliancedfg@norsegroup.co.uk)

• They will arrange for one of their helpful advisors to visit you at home to discuss the issues you are facing and check if you are eligible for the DFG and start the application process.

• If you're eligible for the DFG, then Alliance will arrange for a specialist called an Occupational Therapist or (OT) to visit. They understand both the latest products on the market and best practices for safety and mobility, but more importantly, they will listen to you and make sure you are offered the best solution for your needs.

• Alliance will complete the financial assessment paperwork if it's needed, If you receive certain benefits your application will not require an assesment, plus stairlifts and wet rooms are excluded from assessment anyway. Once your application has been completed, and approved if needed, Alliance then hand over to n-able for the delivery of your project. They have a very close working relationship, so the handover will be seamless from your point of view.

• n-able will either complete your project from their own friendly expert team or use a suitable company from their approved contractor list depending on what's best for your specific needs.

• A date will then be agree with you for the work to take place.

• Each step will be clearly explained, and nothing will happen which isn't approved by you. They always keep disruption to a minimum and remove everything from your home too.

Financial assessments can always be a cause for worry, but currently, adaptations under £5000 are not means-tested. If your project is over £5000 and you own your own home, there may be a charge against your property. This will be fully explained before you decide whether to go ahead.

Every geographical area in England has a DFG budget. Most spend their DFG grant budget very quickly, but with Staffordshire Moorlands folk being fiercely independent, this particular budget is bulging. Guess what happens if we don’t spend it? It goes right back to the government to be reused somewhere else. If there wasn’t a need for the support, then that would absolutely be the right thing to do, but that’s not what’s happening here. Alliance is experiencing difficulty in getting people to take the money, and the life-changing support a DFG can bring might seem too good to be true. So we’re on a mission, COG and Alliance, to help find those people who need this support, making it easy for them to make the changes needed to live the life they both deserve & desire. So if you have friends, neighbours, or family members who are struggling with getting around at home, please encourage them to contact 0300 373 0199 (option 3) or email alliancedfg@norsegroup.co.uk

Facilities Grants: How to maintain your independence if you feel it slipping away - created 7.4.25

Alliance Norse and n-able are sponsors of COGNEWS helping us reach more people with quality local news and information