The government has confirmed a £723 million budget for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) in 2026-27, alongside a completely new allocation formula that will change how much funding each local council in England receives. For homeowners and tenants hoping to fund a stairlift through a DFG grant, this could mean faster or slower access to funding depending on where you live.
Why the DFG Funding Formula Is Changing
The way the government distributes DFG funding to local authorities had not been updated since 2011. In the 15 years since, the UK’s population has aged significantly, disability patterns have shifted, and housing costs have risen unevenly across the country. The old formula simply no longer reflected where the need was greatest.
The new formula, which takes effect from April 2026, estimates the number of potential DFG applicants in each area by combining data on income-deprived disabled working-age adults, income-deprived people over 65, and disabled children. It also adjusts for regional variations in building costs, recognising that the price of installing a stairlift or building a level-access shower differs substantially between, say, central London and rural Northumberland.
The government ran a public consultation on the changes in summer 2025, receiving responses from local authorities, disability organisations, housing associations, and individuals. The final formula reflects that feedback, with transitional protections ensuring that no council receives less than its June 2025 allocation in the first year of the new system.
What This Means for Stairlift Grant Applicants
If you are applying for a DFG to help pay for a stairlift or other home adaptation, the most immediate impact depends on your local council. Areas with higher concentrations of older and disabled residents on lower incomes should, in theory, receive a larger share of the £723 million pot than they did previously. This could translate into shorter waiting times and quicker approvals.
Conversely, councils that were previously over-funded relative to their local need may see their allocation decrease over time, although the transitional protections are designed to prevent any sudden drops. If you are currently on a waiting list for a DFG assessment, it is worth contacting your council’s housing adaptations team to ask whether the new funding settlement has affected their capacity.
The DFG continues to cover up to £30,000 in England for essential home adaptations, including stairlifts, ramps, accessible bathrooms, widened doorways, and assistive technology such as automatic door openers and smart home controls.
The £30,000 Cap: Still Unchanged Despite Growing Pressure
One of the most significant findings from the consultation was the strength of feeling about the DFG’s upper limit. The maximum grant of £30,000 has remained frozen for years, even as adaptation costs have risen. According to government data cited in the consultation response, the average cost of a high-value DFG claim is now £46,000 for adults and £58,000 for children.
That gap leaves many applicants facing a difficult choice: fund the shortfall themselves, scale back the planned adaptations, or abandon the project entirely. Several respondents to the consultation, including local authorities and representative organisations, called for the cap to be raised. The government has acknowledged the issue, stating that it has reviewed the upper limit and is “considering the right approach for the future,” but no increase has been confirmed.
Some councils have used their discretionary powers to publish local Housing Assistance Policies that top up funding beyond £30,000 or remove means testing for lower-cost adaptations. However, with council budgets under severe pressure, not all authorities can afford to offer this flexibility. If you are concerned that your adaptation may exceed £30,000, it is worth asking your council whether they operate a local top-up scheme.
The Bigger Picture: An Ageing Population and a Housing Gap
The DFG formula change sits against a backdrop of growing demand. Nearly 30% of households in England are now headed by someone aged 65 or over, and forecasts suggest that around one in four people will be aged 65 or older within the next two decades. Meanwhile, only 7% of UK homes meet basic national accessibility requirements, and bungalow construction has fallen to just 1% of new builds, down from 11% in 1990.
This means the vast majority of older and disabled people will continue to rely on retrofitting existing homes rather than moving into purpose-built accessible housing. Home adaptations, including stairlifts, remain one of the most cost-effective interventions available, helping to prevent falls, speed up hospital discharges, and reduce the need for residential care.
The Centre for Ageing Better and other organisations have consistently called for a more proactive, prevention-focused approach to home adaptations, arguing that early intervention saves money for the NHS and social care system in the long run.
What You Can Do Now
If you or a family member is considering a stairlift or other home adaptation, there are several practical steps you can take. First, contact your local council to request an occupational therapy assessment, which is the starting point for any DFG application. Assessments are free, though waiting times vary by area. You can also explore our complete guide to stairlift grants and funding for a full breakdown of what is available.
For those who do not qualify for a DFG or who need to bridge a funding gap, other options include charitable grants from organisations such as Age UK and the Foundations Independent Living Trust, as well as interest-free loans offered by some councils. Our stairlift prices guide can help you understand the typical costs involved so you can plan accordingly.
The new DFG formula is a welcome step towards fairer funding, but the frozen £30,000 cap and growing demand mean that navigating the system still requires persistence. If you are unsure where to start, getting comparable quotes from multiple suppliers is a sensible first step.
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