Refused Grant for walk in shower.

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
My OH has severe mobility problems and his social health care person and OT advised us to apply for grant to convert our bath into a walk in shower. Explained it was means tested and that we may have to pay a minimum amount towards it, To cut it short, we have just heard that we dont qualify for grant because we have £4,900 disposable income and as the work would cost approx £4, 500 we dont get it. My question is, that £4, 900 is absolutely all we have only just managed to save that up as we really need new boiler. And its emergency money for when its needed. SURELY a person is allowed to keep a certain amount of money aside for emergency., a d not be expected to spend there last little bit of savings and then have nothing, the grant comes from local council
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
Can you ask AgeUk for advice on reapplying. Remember if you do go ahead that you don’t pay VAT for such work. Just get a letter from your GP to give to the builder saying the work was necessary and listing his illness.
 

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
Can you ask AgeUk for advice on reapplying. Remember if you do go ahead that you don’t pay VAT for such work. Just get a letter from your GP to give to the builder saying the work was necessary and listing his illness.
Can you ask AgeUk for advice on reapplying. Remember if you do go ahead that you don’t pay VAT for such work. Just get a letter from your GP to give to the builder saying the work was necessary and listing his illness.
Thankyou marion, I didn't think of getting GP letter, I'll do that on Monday and also photocopy it and send one to the Grant's Manager.
I cant believe they think having just £4,000 is enough to refuse us, that's for emergency Bill's, and one of them is for new boiler we desperately need ours is years old. But that's the system they tell me, Not happy.
 

archiebald

Registered User
Jan 12, 2016
44
0
Thankyou marion, I didn't think of getting GP letter, I'll do that on Monday and also photocopy it and send one to the Grant's Manager.
I cant believe they think having just £4,000 is enough to refuse us, that's for emergency Bill's, and one of them is for new boiler we desperately need ours is years old. But that's the system they tell me, Not happy.
Thankyou marion, I didn't think of getting GP letter, I'll do that on Monday and also photocopy it and send one to the Grant's Manager.
I cant believe they think having just £4,000 is enough to refuse us, that's for emergency Bill's, and one of them is for new boiler we desperately need ours is years old. But that's the system they tell me, Not happy.
Can I ask where you live I am i Scotland phoned social work OT department to see if we could get a wet room we had shower cubicle but OH would refuse to go in cubicle OT came to house assessed my hubby and as long as he could walk upstairs she said it would be put up in front of OT meeting it was passed we got 80 % grant had to pay 20% £760 not means tested it is a blessing
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
4,634
0
I think you're referring to a Disabled Facilities Grant (not available in Scotland - they have a different process).

It's means tested based on income and savings, but the guidance states that only savings over £6,000 are taken into account: https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/what-youll-get

Your first post states that you have been refused due to '£4,900 disposable income' (not £4,900 savings). It's possible that either you incorrectly put that figure down as income rather than savings when you completed the application form or the council have made a mistake (quite likely!). I'd check with the council as it looks like it's an error.
 

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
I think you're referring to a Disabled Facilities Grant (not available in Scotland - they have a different process).

It's means tested based on income and savings, but the guidance states that only savings over £6,000 are taken into account: https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/what-youll-get

Your first post states that you have been refused due to '£4,900 disposable income' (not £4,900 savings). It's possible that either you incorrectly put that figure down as income rather than savings when you completed the application form or the council have made a mistake (quite likely!). I'd check with the council as it looks like it's an error.
I rang them again today and said I would only speak to Grant Manager, the outcome is we definitely dont get it. I couldn't understand a lot of everything he was saying , but told him that in the next month or so we are having a new boiler, which we desperately need our home now is about 24 yrs old so that would take approx £3,500 off our £4,600. So we wouldn't have hardly any savings left. But it was still NO, he was going on about the £600 they disregard and I kept trying to tell him we haven't got that much. Anyway long story short is,
If we had £8000 they disregard £ 6000 of that and it gives us £ 2000 to play with and we contribute that too it SO it seems the more money you have the more help you get . SEEMS CRAZY TO ME, I said so because we haven't got above £600 we dont get help and his answer was yes that's the system. It's very complicated. He said we could have a loan which is like Equity Release and we pay it back when house is sold. I put phone down on him then.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
I rang them again today and said I would only speak to Grant Manager, the outcome is we definitely dont get it. I couldn't understand a lot of everything he was saying , but told him that in the next month or so we are having a new boiler, which we desperately need our home now is about 24 yrs old so that would take approx £3,500 off our £4,600. So we wouldn't have hardly any savings left. But it was still NO, he was going on about the £600 they disregard and I kept trying to tell him we haven't got that much. Anyway long story short is,
If we had £8000 they disregard £ 6000 of that and it gives us £ 2000 to play with and we contribute that too it SO it seems the more money you have the more help you get . SEEMS CRAZY TO ME, I said so because we haven't got above £600 we dont get help and his answer was yes that's the system. It's very complicated. He said we could have a loan which is like Equity Release and we pay it back when house is sold. I put phone down on him then.
That cannot be right and it sounds as if there is a misunderstanding of this £6000 in savings disregarded.
 

RosettaT

Registered User
Sep 9, 2018
866
0
Mid Lincs
I would speak to AgeUK and/or CAB and see what they say. It does seem as tho' there is a misunderstanding somewhere.
 

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
Thankyou both for your advice, I cant get this issue out of my head, and struggling to comprehend it. Keep thinking of when I told him that next month were buying g new boiler which will bring our money we have left to roughly £1,300. But we STILL dont qualify for help. It's really bugging me, so yes I think I will talk to someone who can explain it in simple terms and make sense of it. Will let you know how I get on
 

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
Can I ask where you live I am i Scotland phoned social work OT department to see if we could get a wet room we had shower cubicle but OH would refuse to go in cubicle OT came to house assessed my hubby and as long as he could walk upstairs she said it would be put up in front of OT meeting it was passed we got 80 % grant had to pay 20% £760 not means tested it is a blessing
Can I ask where you live I am i Scotland phoned social work OT department to see if we could get a wet room we had shower cubicle but OH would refuse to go in cubicle OT came to house assessed my hubby and as long as he could walk upstairs she said it would be put up in front of OT meeting it was passed we got 80 % grant had to pay 20% £760 not means tested it is a blessing
Hello Archiebald, sorry I've not been on here for a while. I live on the south coast near Eastbourne.and we are under Wealden council, I still cant understand how the system works. They just said if we had £8000, savings or above, they would disregard the first £6000, so we would get the grant but would have to pay £ 2000, towards it, I thi k the job is goi g to cost £5, 250 but because we have only £ 4,000. We haven't got enough for them to disregard so we dont qualify. I REALLY DONT UNDERSTSND IT, the more money you have the more help you get. We were prepared to pay £ 1,000. I dont know who to take to to who will explain it so I understand, my husband is so upset.
 

RosettaT

Registered User
Sep 9, 2018
866
0
Mid Lincs
This must governed along the lines of some elements of pension credit or at least how pc used to be calculated. When my father retired, they down sized, that gave them some money in the bank. Because it was above £8000 but below £16,000 they qualified for pension credit, if they had no savings they wouldn't have got it. It was explained to them that because they had managed to save they were rewarded. If they hadn't down sized they really would have been in poverty street.
It's a ridiculous system.
 
Last edited:

Lilac Blossom

Registered User
Oct 6, 2014
609
0
Scotland
In Scotland - then it must depend on something else - different local authority areas maybe? Here, I know of a number of people who received grants for bathroom adaptation but when I applied we got nowhere. OH needs help with everything but when OT came around she said "Oh you (me) are doing so well, you are managing fine so I would not be able to recommend you for grant". I reapplied several times without success.
 

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
Its seems like it's a post code thing and if your in the right post code your very lucky, like someone said earlier, we could pay for it out of the little bit of money we have but that would leave us with no money at all for emergencies, and we REALLY need a new boiler ours is years old and ready to give out on us.
I'm definitely NOT giving up on this but dont know who to turn to that will know the full in and outs of how it all works. My OH is getting worse day by day, I think in about 6 months time be wont be walking at all. Today is a bad day he can hardly put one foot in front of the other, there is no way he could even try to have a shower Ican just about get him in bathroom for a wash. I'm really desperate to get this sorted.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
In Scotland - then it must depend on something else - different local authority areas maybe? Here, I know of a number of people who received grants for bathroom adaptation but when I applied we got nowhere. OH needs help with everything but when OT came around she said "Oh you (me) are doing so well, you are managing fine so I would not be able to recommend you for grant". I reapplied several times without success.
My husband needed a new shower set up
Urgently after a bad fall and being trapped in the cubicle. I was able to phone a builder and have the work done a week later but I was told that if I had been willing to wait the LA in Glasgow would probably have given us a grant.

If you need this work done and can’t afford then stick to your guns. Get advice from Age UK or anyone you can.
 

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
My husband needed a new shower set up
Urgently after a bad fall and being trapped in the cubicle. I was able to phone a builder and have the work done a week later but I was told that if I had been willing to wait the LA in Glasgow would probably have given us a grant.

If you need this work done and can’t afford then stick to your guns. Get advice from Age UK or anyone you can.
I rang them AGAIN today, they must be a completely fed up with me now, insisted on talking to the Grant manager, he went through it all but still couldn't get my head round it, BUT then he said Shame you dont get pension credit because then you would get a 100% grant, I told him I get underlying carers allowence, which means I'm qualified and entitled to it but because My state pension is higher then the carers allowence, I cant recieve it BUT it can allow me to get other benefits, she said that could make a difference a d to send her a copy of the letter O got about that, So fingers crossed ot gets me something,
 

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
I rang them AGAIN today, they must be a completely fed up with me now, insisted on talking to the Grant manager, he went through it all but still couldn't get my head round it, BUT then he said Shame you dont get pension credit because then you would get a 100% grant, I told him I get underlying carers allowence, which means I'm qualified and entitled to it but because My state pension is higher then the carers allowence, I cant recieve it BUT it can allow me to get other benefits, she said that could make a difference a d to send her a copy of the letter O got about that, So fingers crossed ot gets me something,
So the latest update on my problem with grant for shower is, they have reduced the amount we have to pay by £ 2,400. Which does make it easier for me, still a lot but its do-able., hopefully new bathroom soon, thankyou everybody for your help and advice.
 

pevensey

Registered User
Feb 14, 2012
286
0
South East Coast.
Progress even if not entirely satisfactory.

Send us a photo when the job is done.
Thankyou everybody for your help and advice, they said it will take a few months but at least I've got the ball rolling now. And there going to put a new no slip floor, new lighting, and cupboard under the sink, so will ne like a new bathroom hopefully. Will post again when it's all done and OH can have the shower he deserves.
 

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