Published 25 June 2026
Nottingham City Council has launched a consultation on increasing the maximum Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) it offers from £30,000 to £50,000, in a move that could make larger home adaptations far more achievable for disabled residents. The consultation, running through May and June 2026, reflects growing pressure on the national grant ceiling as the cost of major adaptations rises.
The DFG helps disabled people of any age pay for changes to their home so they can live there safely and independently. Typical funded works include stairlifts, level-access showers and other bathroom mobility adaptations, ramps, door widening and, in some cases, through-floor home lifts. The current maximum mandatory grant in England has stood at £30,000 for many years, but councils have discretionary powers to top this up locally.
Nottingham’s proposal matters because the most expensive adaptations, particularly home lifts and complex structural work, can comfortably exceed the standard ceiling. A through-floor lift alone often costs between £15,000 and £30,000 installed, leaving little headroom for additional works under a £30,000 limit. Raising the local cap to £50,000 would allow more ambitious projects to be funded without families having to find large top-up sums themselves.
The move comes against a backdrop of record national investment. The government intends to provide £723 million for Disabled Facilities Grants in 2026-27, up from £711 million the previous year, and has introduced a new allocations formula intended to distribute funding more fairly based on local demand. Details of the national picture are set out by Housing LIN and the government consultation response.
For residents, the key point is that DFG rules and local top-up policies vary significantly from one council to another. If you are planning an adaptation, contact your local authority early to understand the maximum grant available in your area, whether means testing applies, and how long the assessment process takes. An occupational therapist assessment usually forms the basis of any application.
Even where a grant does not cover the full cost, other routes can help. Many adaptations qualify for zero-rated VAT when supplied to a disabled person, and charitable grants may bridge remaining gaps. To plan your budget, see our guides to stairlift costs and the wider range of mobility aids. If your council follows Nottingham’s lead, larger projects that once seemed out of reach may become realistic in the year ahead.
Related guides on Review Mobility
Published 25 June 2026