Disabled adaptations for council houses
Adaptations are alterations made to your home to help you stay independent.
If it's a smaller adaptation (e.g. a handrail), we may be to get this installed for you by our team. If it's something that requires more complex work (e.g. a stairlift) then we will likely refer you for an assessment by an Occupational Therapist.
If we carry out adaptations to your home, you may be charged a service fee.
If an adaptation is needed as you're returning home from hospital or a rehabilitation unit, we will carry out the work urgently.
Minor adaptations will normally be completed quickly and major adaptations will be prioritised after receiving a report from the Occupational Therapist.
If we can't adapt your current home, we may ask that you consider a move to a more appropriate property. We'll discuss these options and what financial and practical support we can offer with you.
Carrying out your own adaptations
If you want to carry out your own adaptations, you will be liable for all the costs incurred and will be required to ask our permission to carry out this work.
Once you've been given permission, a surveyor may need to inspect the property to consider whether it is feasible. It may be necessary to carry out a post inspection to ensure that the work has been carried out to a satisfactory standard.
We'll always consider any reasonable requests for this work to be carried out, taking into account planning legislation and other regulations.
Adaptations must be maintained by you. At the end of the tenancy, you may need to remove any adaptations and make good any damage to the property.
Speak to your Neighbourhood Manager for more advice on adapting your home. You should always do this before you start any work, even if you feel the adaptations are necessary.
Apply
If you are not a council tenant you will need to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant instead.
If it's a major adaptation we will make an Occupational Therapist (OT) referral on your behalf. They will usually contact you within 5 working days.
Once we have received a recommendation report from the OT, we will add you to our waiting list. The waiting time will depend on whether the OT assesses your need as critical, urgent or standard. When we are ready to carry out the work, we will inform you in writing.
Select where you are a council tenant to apply:
If your area isn't listed, you may be a resident of West Northamptonshire.
Last updated 11 April 2023