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Funding for councils to help people with disabilities make adaptations to their homes has been topped up with an additional £68m this year.
To mark the International Day of People with Disabilities, the government announced additional funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant, which can be used towards the cost of installing accessibility measures such as stairlifts, level access showers and ramps.
The fund is often used to avoid the need for hospital or care home admissions, as well as to help speed up discharge from hospital.
The £68m announced yesterday is in addition to the £505m paid to councils in May, increasing the overall pot to £573m this year.
As part of last month’s one-year Spending Review, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that £573m will also be allocated to the Disabled Facilities Grant next year.
The move is part of a push by government to better integrate health and social care services, which has also seen the government announce a £4bn Better Care Fund for councils.
Minister for rough sleeping and housing Kelly Tolhurst said: “I’m pleased that extra funding announced today, on the International Day of People with Disabilities, will see thousands more people benefit.
“This grant can be literally life-changing and lengthening, helping more people to live independently in their own homes.
“Since 2012 over 280,000 home adaptions have been funded through the Disabled Facilities Grant Scheme helping many tens of thousands of people to live at home independently.”
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