Finding an Accessible Home factsheet

Factsheet: Finding an Accessible Home

Having your needs assessed

If you’re finding your home unsuitable because it doesn’t meet your needs as a disabled person, it may be beneficial to undertake an assessment with an occupational therapist. To arrange this:

Call the Occupational Therapy duty line on 020 8547 6621 or email occupational.therapists@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

Adapting your current home

If you are buying or renting your home privately, you will need to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant, which is means-tested for adults. The occupational therapy service will tell you what you need to do.

If you live in affordable housing (social housing) you will need to request adaptations from the organisation to which you pay rent – either the Council’s Housing Services department or your housing association.

Finding accessible affordable housing

For advice on your housing options as a disabled person:

Call Housing Advice on 020 8547 5468 or email housing.advice@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

To apply for affordable accessible housing (when you have had your needs assessed by an occupational therapist):

Call Housing Services on 020 8547 5470 or email housing@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

Affordable housing options

There are two options for paying for affordable housing:

Renting from the Council or a housing association (rents are set at an affordable level and you may be eligible for Housing Benefit to help with your rent).
Part-owning and part-renting your home – the owned part, eg 25%, is normally paid for via a mortgage and the rest is rented from the housing association. It is normally possible to purchase further portions of your home in the future. You may be eligible for Housing Benefit to help pay the rented portion.

Private housing options

A small number of wheelchair accessible homes are now being built in the private sector. Current planning obligations in Kingston mean that the developer must ensure these are effectively marketed to wheelchair users.

You can, of course, rent your home privately, but it is very difficult to find an accessible rented home in the private sector.

If you’re prepared to move away from the area, you could look at the following websites:

The Accessible Property Register www.accessible-property.org.uk
Mobility Friendly Homes www.mobilityfriendlyhomes.co.uk

The magazine Disability Now occasionally carries adverts for new wheelchair housing, particularly in the Greater London area.

‘Stay Independent’ factsheets are produced by a partnership of statutory and voluntary sector organisations providing information and advice for disabled and older people in Kingston.

Also see:

Housing Services
Occupational Therapy Services