Time to Adapt: Examining waiting times for Disabled Facilities Grants in Wales

This report, published by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, reveals that older people in many parts of Wales are waiting over a year for crucial adaptations to be made to their homes, with the average in one area sitting at nearly two years.

Drawing on data on administering Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) in Wales, the Commissioner has warned that delays in adapting older people’s houses puts their health, safety and independence at risk, often leaving individuals unable to undertake basic tasks or move around their homes safely. In some cases, prolonged waits have resulted in older people experiencing falls or other serious injuries, leading to hospital or care home admissions that could be avoided.

The report highlights that there is an average overall waiting time for adaptations of 370 days in Wales, indicating that waiting times have almost doubled since 2019, when the last comparable data was published. Reponses from local authorities also show that older people in around half of areas are waiting longer than the average – many months longer in some cases – with the average waiting time in one area sitting at a massive 692 days, almost a year longer than the average for Wales.

The Commissioner also requested data on the age, gender and ethnicity of people who received DFGs to identify potential barriers to access or gaps in delivery. Concerningly, she found that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals are significantly underrepresented based on the data received – comprising just 1.3% of recipients despite representing 6% of the population in Wales.

Other key findings include:

• Many older people find the DFGs process to be complex, confusing and difficult to navigate.
• Local authorities across Wales are struggling to meet rapidly rising costs and increased demand.
• There are inconsistencies in the ways that the home adaptations/DFGs process is delivered across Wales, including approaches to means testing.
• Data captured about DFGs is very limited – offering no real insight into people’s experiences – and is published infrequently, limiting opportunities for scrutiny.
• Current guidance and service standards are out-of-date and offer little support to local authorities.