Thousands of Disabled people are being left without the support they need because of changes to funding arrangements namely the new arrangement of the grant for the Disabled Facilities Grant in Housing Associations that took control of the old council housing. The Disabled Facilities Grant provides funding to ensure Disabled people can make housing adjustments like widening doors, installing ramps, and making adjustments to bathrooms.

The new arrangement of the grant means that, unlike the past, central Government only provide 50% of the funding, with Housing Associations having to fund the rest.  The new arrangement and self-serving housing staff who don't deviate from policy, has created a crisis that is greatly distressing to the Disabled women and men who are not getting the help they need, through no fault of their own.

We need funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant to be provided in full by central Government.

This detrimental policy has caused me immense distress. While in a feasible property, my housing association refused to provide me multiple times with the necessary wet room and wheelchair adaptations recommended there under this arrangement. I have even had to regularly travel to local swimming pools to have a shower - especially awful for a woman. Yet next door neighbour in identical house in the same housing association had a wet room installed - the system results in a lottery for Disabled people who have no confidence the adaptations they need will be funded.

My Housing Association, ForHousing, stated that adaptations should be done within 9 months, but I was recommended a wet room in 2015 and instead after 5 distressing years of ForHousing’s resistance, I had to sort instead Two temporary places myself Far Out in 2020 which became Three due to a covid outbreak. 

Due to all the trouble, I was advised instead to complain and I repeated my complaints 5 times for a 'management move' instead for an adapted property. I had to wait 3 years 8 months nearly for a property near my partner who remained at the feasible house.

However my housing didn't do the shower right again; it made me a lot worse causing me to fall twice.  Again I had to go to shower instead at the disabled shower at a pool and a day centre for further 6 months approx.  Some, not all of my adaptations were done and is no room for my partner to live with me, are issues with current bungalow and I need to move yet Again.

Under the new 50/50 funding rules, I have been moved property 5 times in 9 years (one furnished) and wasn’t helped even when in a feasible property to which ForHousing had moved me and my fiance (my carer) - to a house out of my medical band and a failure/gross error. 

The new arrangement of the grant (splitting of the grant) caused me to have to go TO LIVE APART FROM MY PARTNER FOR 3 YEARS AND 8 MONTHS NEARLY, AND FAR OUT for the wet room with NOT all my adaptations done - the system is clearly not working.  All the trouble harmed our relationship.

For years, Disabled people like me have relied on central Government funding to make essential adaptations to our homes. These adaptations are crucial in ensuring our independence, safety, and overall well-being.

But under the new system the burden placed on housing associations is simply too great, and they end up blocking adaptations & wet rooms in feasible properties because of their own financial constraints and their staff & managers refusing to deviate from policy causing a punishing ordeal a hugely gruelling type of misery.

Please join me in calling on the Government for the Restoration of full Government funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant, to ensure that all Disabled women and men have the chance to get the support they desperately need when living in a Feasible property in a Housing Association, to live full, independent lives