Means Testing for Disabled Facilities Grants – A More Detailed Look

Overview

Anyone needing adaptations to be made to a dwelling to facilitate occupancy by a disabled person can apply to their local authority for financial assistance in carrying out the work.

Any grant made will depend on the cost of the work to be done, and of the financial circumstances of the disabled person. This course looks at some of the more confusing areas within the statutory scheme.

Course purpose

To enable those who already have some experience of the disabled facilities grant means-testing process to look at some common problem areas.

The course will try to cover any questions raised by participants but the specific topics to be covered will include:

Course content

The course will cover:

• When and how do we conduct the means-test
• When are two people a “couple” for means-testing purposes
• Who is and is not a “child” or a “young person”
• Who is a “person from abroad” after 1st January 2021
• Age rules – solving the mystery of the pensioner premium
• Carer's allowance and its relation to premiums and income
• Employment and Support Allowance
• "Pension pots” and “notional income” – the mechanics
• Voluntary deprivation of capital resources – a caselaw approach
• Universal Credit and low income passporting

Course objectives

By the end of this course participants will:

• Feel more comfortable with all of the above topics
• Have had their practical problems discussed and resolved

Course delivery

The course will be delivered using the Zoom platform. Although you can download and run the Zoom application, you can simply run Zoom in a browser window if you wish. There will be:

• On screen powerpoint presentation
• Short “polls” to confirm understanding
• Open discussion

Attendees will also be provided with a .PDF Course Text comprising the powerpoint presentation combined with extensive course notes. This will be emailed to the attendees prior to the event.

(Please note: where the Zoom app is not installed, individual browser setting can, in some instances, prevent visibility of pop-up polls.)

Course structure

The course will be delivered by a 1 x 1.5 hour long session.

Who this course is for:

Anyone with experience of the disabled facilities grants system, and/or who have attended the Introductory course, who wishes to refresh, update and expand their knowledge.

Who this course is NOT for:

Those entirely new to means-testing for disabled facilities grants, who should attend the Introductory webinar first. Those who wish to investigate means-testing company directors and the self-employed (who should attend the webinar “Assessing the incomes of company directors and the self-employed”). Those who wish for a course about policy and the operation of the Act (who should consider the Law and Policy courses).

Who will deliver the course

We recommend a period of consolidation between attending the introductory course and intermediate level courses.

Feedback

Tutor – Clive Martin

Fantastic trainer. Informative and very knowledgeable – A1 Housing

Very knowledgeable and interested in the subject area – Selby DC

Entertaining & Informative – South Tyneside Council

Brilliant tutor, clear, concise and fun too – Eastbourne BC

Clive was very informative and engaging – Colchester BC

Excellent style of teaching – Warwick DC

Cost

£48 (+ VAT) per attendee.

Bookings are for specific dates and times.

Confirmation of the dates and times of the Zoom webinars will also be emailed to attendees, the email to include a download link to training notes in .pdf format, and instructions on how to access the webinars.

In House Training

The course is available as an in-house online event, catering for up to 16 attendees, at a cost of £288 (+VAT)