Disabled Facilities Grant hailed as ‘life-changing’ after ministers visit family home

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt are pictured with Anne-Marie Kelly during a visit to the Kelly home which was modified for Anne-Marie’s son Conor through the Disabled Facilities Grant.

A County Down family has spoken of the “life-changing” impact of major home adaptations funded through Northern Ireland’s Disabled Facilities Grant, as two Stormont ministers pledged further reforms to strengthen support for households living with disability.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt visited the Kelly family home in Downpatrick, where bespoke works completed in 2024 have transformed daily life for Anne-Marie Kelly and her son Conor, who has autism and learning disabilities.

The visit comes as the Department for Communities leads a review of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), with proposals for public consultation expected later this year aimed at improving how the scheme operates across Northern Ireland.

For families waiting on vital adaptations, the message from Stormont is clear: more changes to the grant system are now on the horizon.

Ministers see impact of home adaptations first-hand

During the visit, Ministers Lyons and Nesbitt were shown the tailored modifications carried out to meet Conor’s specific needs following recommendations made by his Occupational Therapist and wider Multi-Disciplinary Team.

The work included the creation of a ground floor bedroom and bathroom, alongside soundproofing measures designed to reduce external noise and create a calmer, safer environment.

For the Kelly family, the improvements have had an immediate and profound effect.

Anne-Marie Kelly said:

“The adaptations made to our home through the Disabled Facilities Grant have truly been life-changing. They have given Conor a new sense of safety, confidence and reassurance that means the world to us as a family.

“I was delighted to welcome the Communities and Health Ministers into our home, show them the modifications first-hand and to share the positive impact adapting our home environment has had on our daily lives.

“Seeing the improvement in Conor’s quality of life has given us such peace of mind, and as a family we are deeply grateful for the support provided by Conor’s Occupational Therapist and the Housing Executive Grants Department through the Disabled Facilities Grant.”

Her comments were echoed by Minister Lyons, who said the visit brought home the real-world impact of the scheme.

“It was inspiring to speak with Anne-Marie, to hear Conor’s story, and learn firsthand how Conor’s wellbeing and quality of life, and that of the Kelly family, have been greatly enhanced through the Disabled Facilities Grant,” he said.

“As Communities Minister, I am committed to ensuring that everyone has access to a safe and suitable home. I also want to ensure that adaptations through the Disabled Facilities Grant are available to all who need them.”

More than £13 million approved across Northern Ireland

The latest figures released by the Department for Communities underline the scale of the scheme across Northern Ireland.

In the last financial year alone, more than 800 home adaptations were approved through the Disabled Facilities Grant, with a combined value of more than £13 million.

Those figures reflect the growing demand for major home modifications that help disabled people remain safe and independent in their own homes.

Minister Lyons said:

“In the last financial year, over 800 adaptations, worth more than £13million, were approved for homes across Northern Ireland through the Disabled Facilities Grant.

“Visiting the Kelly home and seeing how it has been carefully tailored to meet Conor’s needs highlighted the significant impact these adaptations are having in supporting persons with disabilities and their families.”

The DFG is a means-tested grant administered by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) on behalf of the Department for Communities.

It provides financial assistance for significant home adaptations recommended by an Occupational Therapist, including structural changes such as accessible bathrooms, downstairs bedrooms, ramps, widened doorways and specialist sensory or safety modifications.

The purpose of the grant is to support people living with disabilities where major changes are needed to maintain independence and ensure safety within the home.

Health and housing departments working jointly

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt used the visit to highlight the close working relationship between health professionals and housing services.

He said:

“I welcomed the opportunity to meet Anne-Marie and hear about the real difference these bespoke adaptations have made to her family’s lives. Accessible housing is crucial to address health inequalities and improve people’s quality of life and general mental and physical wellbeing.

“Conor’s case is an excellent example of how interagency collaborative working between Trust occupational therapists, through their clinical assessment, and the NIHE Grants department can produce positive outcomes for disabled people and their families in how they lead their lives.”

The minister’s remarks place renewed focus on the wider role of housing in reducing health inequalities, particularly for families caring for children and adults with complex needs.

For many households, home design can directly affect physical safety, emotional wellbeing and family stability.

New Northern Ireland design guide launched

Alongside the grant review, ministers also highlighted the rollout of a new design framework intended to improve future adaptations.

Mr Nesbitt said interdepartmental work has also led to the development of “Designing Homes for All: An inclusive design guide”, described as the first document of its kind in Northern Ireland.

The guide focuses specifically on supporting people with cognitive and sensory impairment, an area often overlooked in traditional home adaptation design.

“This collaborative approach between our departments has also produced a new inclusive home design guide, the first of its kind in Northern Ireland which focuses on the needs of people with cognitive and sensory impairment,” he said.

“My hope is that this guide will ensure adaptations can be designed to meet the needs of individual families, providing essential modifications for a better quality of life.”

The aim of the guide is to support all stakeholders involved in housing design, while helping ensure that families living with cognitive or sensory impairment receive the right adaptations for their needs.

Grant system review and consultation planned

The ministerial visit also comes at a key moment for the future of the scheme.

The Department for Communities, working alongside the Department of Health and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, is currently leading a formal review into how the Disabled Facilities Grant operates.

That review is expected to shape future policy, administration and access arrangements.

Minister Lyons confirmed that the next stage will include a public consultation later this year.

“I am eager to see continued progress in this area, and that’s why I intend bringing forward proposals for public consultation later this year to strengthen the administration of these grants and improve outcomes for those who rely on the scheme,” he said.

The consultation is likely to be closely watched by disability campaigners, families and occupational therapy services across Northern Ireland, particularly as demand for complex home adaptations continues to rise.

For the Kelly family, however, the benefits are already clear — not in policy papers or statistics, but in the day-to-day reality of home life.

For Conor, that means greater safety, reassurance and comfort.

For his family, it means peace of mind.

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At a glance

• Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt visited a family home in Downpatrick

• The Kelly family received Disabled Facilities Grant-funded adaptations in 2024

• Works included a ground floor bedroom, bathroom and soundproofing

• Conor Kelly has autism and learning disabilities

• His mother Anne-Marie described the changes as “life-changing”

• Over 800 adaptations worth more than £13 million were approved across Northern Ireland last year

• The grant is means-tested and administered by NIHE

• Stormont departments are currently reviewing how the scheme operates

• A public consultation on reforms is expected later this year

• A new inclusive design guide for cognitive and sensory impairment has also been introduced