Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Disabled Facilities Grant system delivery model, involving upper-tier authorities, district councils and housing providers, on the time taken to to provide home adaptations for people with progressive or terminal conditions; and whether he will bring forward proposals to simplify the process.

The government recognises the importance of timely home adaptations for people with progressive or terminal conditions. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations within set timescales for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test. Local authorities can also agree a more generous local housing assistance policy.

In June, my colleague the Minister of State for Care at the Department for Health and Social Care wrote to all council leaders in England strongly encouraging them to review and update their housing assistance policies to enable fast tracking of support, and to consider waiving the means test, for those with Motor Neurone Disease and other rapidly progressing conditions.

To speed up delivery and simplify decision making across all local government services, including the Disabled Facilities Grant, this government has brought forward proposals to end the two-tier system and establish new single-tier unitary councils.