Habinteg calls on the Government to improve the accessibility and adaptability of all new homes
Social landlord Habinteg is urging the Government to make the M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard the baseline for all new homes in England now.
Adaptations are considerably cheaper on M4(2) homes, Habinteg states, and would help the Disabled Facilities Grant pot to go further, nationwide.
The Government recently a number of adult social care reform measures, including care technology, an independent social care commission, and an £86 million boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant this financial year.
This boost – on top of the £86 million announced for next financial year at the Autumn Budget – takes the annual total to £711 million and means thousands of older and disabled people will be able to apply for the financial support needed to live in a home suitable for their needs.
The Disabled Facilities Grant is a vital resource but Habinteg states that councils in England face great pressure to ensure their total grant allocation meets the needs of disabled and older people in their area.
Cost comparisons by Habinteg of common grab rail, stairlift and wet room adaptations show that people living in an M4(1) visitable dwelling3, or an older home, who may need to make such adaptations could be almost £27,000 worse off compared to those in an M4(2) accessible and adaptable home.
Accessible homes lower the need for domiciliary care, helping people stay independent longer and reducing local authority expenses. Average savings per hour of home care: £18-£20 per hour.
Accessible homes can delay or eliminate the need for more costly residential settings. Average saving per week of residential setting: £970 per week.
Also, where individuals do require a night or more in hospital, an accessible home could facilitate quicker hospital discharges, reducing NHS costs with potential savings, on average, of £345 per night.
Wheelchair user and Habinteg Insight Group member Luis Canto E Castro said: “As someone who has personally faced the systemic shortcomings of the Disabled Facilities Grant, I wholeheartedly welcome the additional funding and the steps towards social care reform. But the shortcomings of a grant system that leaves individuals like me shouldering the full financial strain of adaptations must be addressed.
“I had to take out a five-year bank loan to fund my own home adjustments not because I wanted to, but because I lacked the ‘luck’ of living in the right area. There are people I know who earn more than me, who live in a different local authority area, who applied for and were given a Disabled Facilities Grant. This disparity is unjust and unsustainable.
“Strengthening accessibility standards, by making the M4(2) standard the baseline for new homes, could help maximise the reach of the grant and support a more inclusive future for everyone.”
Habinteg’s Director of Social Impact and External Affairs, Christina McGill, said: “Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting is right when he says that long-term action is needed to meet the social care needs of our ageing society. One action that can be taken right now, to pave the way for long term benefits and efficiency, is to improve the accessibility and adaptability of all new homes.
“With care costs set to double within 20 years it’s imperative that we ensure all new homes are capable of supporting people’s independence at home as their needs change through national adoption of the M4(2) standard.
“Right now, only nine per cent of homes offer even the most basic levels of accessibility and there is huge demand for adaptations to homes that don’t meet the needs of people who live in them. To properly address this deficit the long term strategy for housing needs to break open the silos between housing, health and social care funding.
“We need to see Mr Streeting working in close collaboration with Cabinet colleagues, particularly the Deputy Prime Minister, to ensure policy and funding alignment behind this issue. It is far better to invest in preventative standards now than to continually play catch-up with ever pressurised funds.”