EXTRA COUNCIL FUNDING TO HELP DISABLED PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOME

Bedford Borough Council has committed an additional £400,000 of capital funding for home adaptations and improvements which help people with disabilities live comfortably and independently in their own home. The additional funding for Disabled Facilities Grants has been made available from the early achievements of budget efficiency savings in the current year.

Disabled Facilities Grants are used to help meet the cost of providing adaptations and facilities to enable people with disabilities to stay in their home. They fund improvements which provide people with better access to their habitat, to move around it more freely or to use the essential facilities within the home.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "This additional funding will support more people with disabilities to live comfortably and independently at home. It will fund works which enable people to stay in their own home, making a positive impact upon their health, wellbeing and independence."

Examples of Modifications which are funded through Disabled Facilities Grants include installing a stair lift or providing a downstairs bathroom; installing ramps or widening doorways for easier wheelchair access; or adapting heating and lighting controls to make them easier to use.