Contribution Assistance Grant

A Contribution Assistant Grant (CAG) could help you if you're not able to pay a means tested contribution for home adaptation works.

There is no limit to how much grant may be awarded. However, it will be subject to the availability of resources and other criteria.

Eligibility 

You must be eligible for the mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant and meet the following conditions:

  • you are not able to proceed with the works due to the assessed contribution
  • you have a report from an occupational therapist advising there will be a severe impact to your health if you do not receive support
  • you can provide evidence of financial hardship (such as proof of inability to get a bank loan, proof of outgoings or lack of savings)
  • you can provide evidence that the lack of adaptations would leave you at risk in your home
  • you can prove that not completing the adaptations could result in increased costs to the social care budget

You will need to show that you have tried to secure the funding by alternative means. This could be from sources such as a bank loan or charitable funding.

Conditions

For owner-occupiers, the grant will be registered, in full, as a local land charge against your property. The grant will be recovered on the sale or transfer of your property, subject to rules regarding exempt sales. 

This is separate to the £10,000 which is recoverable as a condition of mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant.

The applicant must be a permanent resident of Bracknell Forest and the property must be their permanent address. 

There are other conditions attached to this grant which may restrict the future use and ownership of the property. These can be viewed in the Housing Assistance Policy 2021 to 2026.

If the applicant is a tenant, we will liaise with the appropriate landlord to explore alternative options before approving the grant.  This could include funding from the landlord or moving to alternative suitable accommodation.

A maximum of one application for this grant will be considered in any 5 year period

How to apply

You can apply for a CAG through the Disabled Facilities Grant service.

Funding will be awarded on a case by case basis at the discretion of the council’s senior management. 

If you want to make an application for this grant, email dfg@bracknell-forest.gov.uk to request an application form.