Help to pay for adaptations

If you or someone else in your household is disabled, you may need to adapt your home to make day-to-day living easier.

You could get a grant from the council or a charity to help with the cost of the work. A grant is money that you do not have to pay back.

Getting a council grant

You’ll need to show that you or someone you live with needs the adaptations due to a disability. You can do this by getting a care assessment done by social work. Check our advice on getting a care assessment and home adaptations.

You can either apply for a grant on the council’s website or on a paper form in their office. Find your council’s website on mygov.scot.

When you apply you’ll need to include the plan for the work and the estimated cost.

If you need help applying for a grant, contact an adviser at your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

When the council must give you a grant

The council must give you a grant if you're making essential adaptations and one of the following apply:

• the property does not have a sink, bath, shower or wash basin with hot and cold water, or a toilet that is not shared with any other households

• the property has these facilities but the disabled person is not able to use one or more of them

• the work is structural or involves making permanent changes to the property, excluding extensions and separate buildings

The property you’re adapting must be the disabled person’s main or only home.

It's up to the council to decide whether or not an adaptation is essential. This is decided as part of the care assessment process.

How much you can get

The council will work out whether you can contribute to the costs.

You could get a grant up to 100% of the approved expense if you or anyone else in your household get any of the following benefits:

• income support

• income-based jobseeker's allowance

• the guarantee element of pension credit

• income-related employment and support allowance.

The following people count as being part of your household:

• your spouse or civil partner

• any of your dependents, or people you depend on, such as your children or parents

• anyone else who lives with you or will be living with you when the work is done

If you do not meet this criteria, you can only get up to 80% of the costs as a grant.

If you disagree with the council's assessment, you can appeal their decision within 21 days.

Your responsibilities if you get a council grant

After you receive the grant, the property must be:

• mainly used as a private home

• the disabled person's main home

• kept in good repair

The council’s care and repair scheme

You could get help from the council’s care and repair service to improve or adapt your home.

This service is usually available to you if you’re 60 or older or disabled, and at least one of these apply:

• you’re a homeowner

• you rent privately and have permission from your landlord

• you’ve been in hospital

• you’re a crofter

Care and repair can help with:

• advice and information on getting work done on your home

• funding, planning and advising on major repairs and adaptations

• practical help with small repairs and handyman services, often free of charge

You may need to pay for some of the services they provide or suggest. The care and repair team could help you apply for a council grant for this.

Check the Care and Repair Scotland website for advice on the scheme.

Applying for a charitable grant

Some charities and organisations can give grants to help pay for adaptations.

To get a charitable grant you'll need to apply for the money, or in some cases have a professional apply on your behalf, such as a social worker.

When you apply, you’ll need to show that you need the adaptations and cannot fund them fully yourself. You might need to give proof of your income, outgoings, savings and of a care assessment.

In some cases a charity might give you a grant with certain conditions. For example, they may tell you how to spend the money and to provide proof.

The council can help you find grants that apply to you. You can also use the Turn2Us website to search for charitable grants.