Frequently asked questions

Major adaptations

A major adaptation is any permanent work to a home costing over £1,000, which is carried out to help people with disabilities stay independent.

Major adaptations include:

Will I qualify for help?
Following an assessment of your needs, an occupational therapist will send you a care plan listing the major adaptations that you need within Ealing Council criteria, and who will provide them.

The Data Protection Act 1998 defines the rules for processing personal information and applies to most paper records and to computer records. If you would like access to your records, please ask for the leaflet 'Data Protection in Ealing' for more details.

Cost
If you live in a council or owner-occupied property, the occupational therapist will recommend a disabled facilities grant. The council's repairs and adaptations service will then ask you to complete a questionnaire to work out if you have to contribute towards the cost of the work. The same applies if you live in privately rented property, once we have written permission from your landlord for the work to be carried out.

If you live in a housing association property, the occupational therapist will send the recommendation to the housing association, which will try to secure funding. If funding is not available, the occupational therapist will recommend a disabled facilities grant (once the housing association have agreed the work).

How long will it take?
The length of time taken to complete an adaptation will vary depending on the extent of the work, the type of property and other things like tendering and planning permission.

Council or owner-occupied property
Once the occupational therapist has recommended the disabled facilities grant and the results of the means test are completed, an officer from the repairs and adaptations service will visit you and help complete the application and other associated paperwork. They will be able to give you an estimated timescale for the process.

Housing association property
If the housing association is funding the works, they may be able to give the occupational therapist a timescale within their building works programme. If they are unable to secure funding, the occupational therapist will recommend a disabled facilities grant and the timescale will be as above.

Repairs

Council property
If the adaptation was completed over 12 months ago (and does not include specialist equipment), the problem needs to be reported to Repairlink (depending on the area in which you live):

Acton Repairlink tel: 0800 181 552
Ealing Repairlink tel: 0800 181 744
Greenford/Northolt/Perivale Repairlink tel: 0800 181 541
Southall Repairlink tel: 0800 614 746

Owner-occupied property
The owner of the property is responsible for repairs and maintenance unless it is specialist equipment, which may be covered by a warranty.

Housing association property
The housing association is responsible for all repairs.