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Original poster

Disabled facilities grant - can anyone help?

4 replies

Raeray · 25/02/2013 10:11

My friends mother has recently passed away. In August last year she had a stairlift and bathroom conversion in her home paid for by a disabled facilities grant. Since she has passed away the local council have say that my friend now needs to pay the grant back as her mother did not live in the property for 10years after the grant had been provided?! In the contract it says if the home owner/ person who gained grant/signs contract moves house or transfers property into another name then they are liable to pay. However she didn't do any of those things- the poor love just died?! It seems insensitive and wrong that they are now trying to gain this money. Does anyone know any information that could help my friend? Many thanks in advance

OP posts:

megandraper · 25/02/2013 10:15

Sorry, no help here, but that sounds absolutely wrong! I doubt that your council can really do this. I would contact Age Concern, they have good advisory people.

wonkylegs · 25/02/2013 10:32

If she is selling the property then she will need to pay it back as it's considered an improvement benefit that they can recoup from sale but if she is continuing to live in it then she shouldn't need to. I would recommend that she contact the CAB for more detailed advice.

Original poster

Raeray · 25/02/2013 21:29

Thank you - we have contacted age concern and although they agreed it doesn't seem right that it needs to be paid back they couldn't really give proper guidance as to how to go about wiping the charge...

She also not selling the property it's just automatically being transferred into her name as she's the next of kin - although they don't seem to think that this makes a difference?

Any more help people can give will be gratefully received!

Thanks in advance

OP posts:

OvO · 25/02/2013 21:35

I've recently had a grant for the same and was told the same would happen if I died but they did say that they would never actually ask for the money in that situation because of how bad it would look. I think the woman from the council meant in the sense of it getting in the local paper sort of thing.

Is your friend willing to do a Sad Face pose in her local paper?

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