Disabled people in Preston needing changes to their homes will not see any work undertaken until April next year at the earliest.
Preston City Council has confirmed to Blog Preston a £2million funding pot to make adaptations to properties each year has already been used up and would not reset until the new financial year.
Blog Preston was contacted to say work on all properties had halted just half-way through the year because the cupboard was bare when it came to paying for fitting stairlifts, adapted washrooms or other works.
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The city council – which receives the Disabled Facilities Grant in an allocation from Lancashire County Council – said under-spend in previous years had been used to deal with any increases in demand or additional costs but this money was no longer carried forward.
It also blamed the rising cost of construction and materials, as well as more complex cases, for why no work could be carried out until April 2026 – although assessments, measuring up and preparing to undertake works will continue.
Director of development and housing at the city council, Chris Hayward, told Blog Preston:
“Preston City Council receives a government allocation each year (via Lancashire County Council) to manage the Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) applications for the city. This year’s allocation for Preston was just over £2m out of a total allocation of around £20m for Lancashire.
“The amount of funding the Council receives is calculated by government and has increased each year, but we are now seeing a rise in demand and the funding being taken up well before the end of the year. Some of the reasons for that is because there are more adaptations and extensions for those people with more complex needs, and projects are costing more due to higher construction and material costs.
“The Council processes applications quickly and is ensuring that the government funding allocated to eligible Preston households is spent where it is needed. In 2024/25 a total of 254 applications were processed, and adaptation works completed. When applications are approved, they fund 100 per cent of the costs. Unfortunately, demand for funding is exceeding the amount of grant available. In the past, not all Government grant was spent in one year, so the Council was able to carry forward any unspent monies into future years. This is no longer the case.
“As a result of this situation, the Council is intending to review its DFG grants policy, to make sure that those in greatest need of adaptations are not experiencing delays.
“We will also lobby Government to provide more funding for DFGs. In the meantime, we will continue to process applications, so that projects are designed, costed and ready for when the next round of grant funding becomes available.”
The city council confirmed 116 applications had been funded so far for the 2025-26 financial year, meaning the average cost of works has increased substantially in the past year. The average cost of works in 24-25 was £8,163 per case and this has risen to £17,241.
Chief executive of Preston-based charity Disability Equality North West, Mel Close, who is also a Labour councillor for Ribbleton, said: “This is really disappointing, if disabled people and families are requesting assessments this means they need the adaptations as soon as possible.
“The whole process from requesting an assessment to the work being complete needs to be done in a timely manner – getting the right adaptations, at the right time, means a disabled person can live independently for longer often in the family home, with their families.
“It’s often a daily struggle without the adaptations, and people can’t move as there aren’t many adapted properties for people to move into. We really hope additional funds are found to continue the DFG’s in this financial year.”
The grants are put in place to help eligible disabled people to continue to live safely and independently at home – and cover those with autism, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, dementia, and a range of other conditions and mental health conditions. Applications for assessment can be made via the city council website.
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