Nearly two thirds of councils are failing to adapt the homes of disabled people within the one year legal limit, a new report has revealed.
The Long Wait For A Home report, published by Leonard Cheshire Disability, also showed that 44% of councils are taking two years to carry out necessary adaptations on homes for disabled and elderly people.
The charity warned that the demand for home adaptations has risen 6% since 2011/12, while the number of Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) paid has gone down by 3% in the same period.
It says that inaccessible housing can lead to physical injuries and mental health problems, increasing the burden on social care and health budgets. It also forces many disabled people to live in downstairs rooms, such as having to wash in the kitchen and being unable to get in and out the front door.
Andy Cole, campaigns director at Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: ‘Each year 2,500 disabled people have to wait over one year to get adaptations to make their homes accessible, so it is shocking that while demand for this essential work is going up, funding for the programme is falling. This will mean even more disabled people will be left stuck in homes that are damaging to their health, and their independence.
‘The effects of poor housing cause stress and depression as well as physical injuries which put a huge strain on our health and social care services. All political parties must address this housing crisis and ensure the funding is put in place for local councils to resolve this.’
The charity is calling for councils to increase their spending for adaptations to ensure that all disabled people receive grants within the legal time limit.
