Thousands eligible for grant worth up to €30,000 for home alterations

Thousands of people around Ireland are eligible to receive a grant worth up to a whopping €30,000 which can be used to make much-needed accessibility improvements to their home.

Making these necessary renovations to a home can be an incredibly costly task, but thankfully the Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability will hand out up to 95 per cent of the costs, or up to €30,000.

The grant can be used for people who have a physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability and provides the eligible recipient with the funds needed to improve their home so it is suitable for their needs.

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From the amount of money you can receive, to who is eligible for the grant and how to apply, here is everything you need to know about the Adaptation Grant:

How much is the grant worth?

The maximum grant you can get is €30,000 or 95 per cent of the cost of the work (whichever is less). The amount of money you get depends on your household income for the previous tax year.

If your household income is less than €30,000, you may get 95 per cent of the cost of the works up to the maximum grant amount of €30,000 but if your house is less than 12 months old, the grant will not be more than €14,500. You can see the full table of rates here.

What can the grant be used for?

You can use this grant to make your home more accessible by:

• Adding ramps or other ways to access your home
• Extending your home to create more space, for example, adding a downstairs bedroom
• Adding accessible bathroom facilities, such as an accessible shower or a ground-floor bathroom or toilet
• Installing a stair lift
• Installing grab rails
• Installing a fixed track hoist. (This is a ceiling or wall-mounted track with a sling attached to it, which means you can be mechanically lifted and moved to different places along the track).

Your home qualifies if it is:

• Privately owned (you or your family own it)
• Rented from a landlord and you have the landlord’s permission to make the changes. (The tenancy must also be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board).
• Provided by an approved housing body (AHB)
• A communal residence (accommodation where people live together in group homes)

How can I apply for the grant?

To apply, download an application form (pdf) here or contact your local authority and ask for one to be posted to you.

The form has a section that must be completed and signed by a doctor. You may also need professional advice from a building contractor when filling in the section about the work you want to get done and how much you think it will cost.

Send the completed form to your local authority along with any documents that are needed, such as:

• Proof of your household income for the previous tax year
• Proof that the Local Property Tax (LPT) for the home is in order
• A letter from the landlord giving you permission to get the work done, if you are renting
• An occupational therapist’s (OT) report if you are using the grant to add an extension, get a stair lift or make a big change to how a room is being used.

The local authority can arrange for the OT assessment, or you can employ an OT yourself and get up to €250 of the cost from the local authority as part of the grant. You can search for an OT on the website of the Association of Occupational Therapists Ireland.

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