Home improvements for young disabled eased

Families in England needing to adapt their homes to care for a disabled child will no longer be subject to means testing from December 2005.

The government's decision makes it easier for families to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to get funding for help to provide access ramps, stair lifts, level access showers and home extensions.

The change, which ensures families are entitled to apply for the maximum grant available without having to go through a means test, will mean they can now apply for up to ?25,000 for disability improvements to their home.

Housing Minister Baroness Andrews said the current DFG means test prevented some families from getting the help they needed, in what were often difficult and distressing circumstances.

"The ending of the means test is an important change which will be warmly welcomed by all those who have been pressing for a change," she said.

Lord Richard Best, director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said, "This is excellent news, not just for the families concerned but for society as a whole. By removing a crucial barrier to families resolving their housing difficulties, the government has opened up the prospect of improving disabled children?s life-chances not just today, but throughout their lives. This will have positive knock-on effects for years to come.