Social Landlord Service: Adaptations Policy

8. Cost of adaptations

1. The cost of adaptations to its own housing stock is met by the council from its Housing Revenue Account and is subject to budget availability. The upper cost limit for works is set in line with the maximum award for a Disabled Facilities Grant, which is currently £30,000 per individual.
2. The Council as landlord will consider applications for multiple people in a household and those from a sole applicant.
3. The maximum cost of adaptations that can be funded is £30,000. There may be cases where works are likely to exceed £30,000. For example, where multiple adaptations are needed, where an extension is recommended or where works will meet a particular need which otherwise cannot be met in the existing affordable housing stock within a reasonable time period. The approval of works in excess of £30,000 cost of works for a sole applicant is capped at £60,000 and agreement to fund works up to this amount is at the discretion of an Executive Director.
4. Where the cost of the work is likely to exceed £30,000, the Executive Director will consider cases individually and decisions are at their discretion. This discretion will only be used in exceptional circumstances where:
5. suitable alternative accommodation is not available in the current affordable housing stock, or;
6. an applicant has been waiting in excess of a year for a move to a more suitable property that is either adapted or can be adapted at a lower cost, and;
7. alternative funding cannot be identified. This would include making representation to Norfolk County Council Social Services for top up funding or approaching charitable organisations, and;
8. where discussions with the Occupational Therapist or Trusted Assessor to find an alternative less costly way of meeting the applicant's needs have been exhausted
9. where the adaptation works will create a property type which is not available/is extremely limited in the affordable housing stock
10. Where the works required will create an additional bedroom or bedrooms, the Executive Director at their discretion may approve adaptation works where the costs of adaptation works exceed £60,000 subject to funding being available to fund the additional costs from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital budget. In these circumstances it shall not exceed £100,000.

11. This table sets out the delegations for approval of spend in accordance with the policy

    Total cost	Authoriser	Comments
    Up to £30,000	Adaptations and Improvement Manager Head of Strategic Housing
    Up to £60,000	Executive Director	Where multiple major adaptations are required to the same property and or small extensions
    Up to £100,000	Executive Director and Cabinet Member	Only where additional capital funding from the HRA is available and works will provide an additional bedroom or bedroom.

 8.1. Means Test

1. A means test is not applied to adaptations for tenants or their household and therefore no financial contribution is required.
2. The council reserve the right to review whether a financial contribution should be sought at a future date.