Explainer: Changes to Cork County Council's housing grants for people with a disability and older people

On December 1, 2024, the rules for several of the housing grants provided by Cork County Council changed.

The changes included increases of 30% in the maximum grant available and a 25% increase in the income levels allowed to receive a grant. Your tax affairs and Local Property Tax (LPT) must be in order to qualify for these grants.

Q. What is the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability?

This is a grant for people with a physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability. It provides funding so you can improve how you enter and move around your home.

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 stairlift
• Installing grab rails
• Installing a fixed track hoist. (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).

The grant does not cover VAT on the work. However, you can apply to Revenue for a VAT refund for any appliances that you need and the cost of installing them.

Q. How much is the grant?

The maximum you can get is €40,000 or 100% 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 it is less than €37,500, you may get 100% of the cost of the works up to the maximum grant amount of €40,000. If your house is less than 12 months old, the maximum grant available will not be more than €20,000.

As household income increases, the percentage of the costs paid by the grant gradually reduces from 100% to 30%. So, if you have a household income of €62,501-75,000, the maximum grant you qualify for is 30% of the costs.

You may not get the maximum grant, even if you qualify for it, as it is paid by your local authority and depends on the funding they have available. They decide if they can pay you the full grant, or a percentage of the grant.

You will not get a grant if your gross annual household income is over €75,000.

Your total household income from the previous tax year is assessed to find out if you qualify and how much of a grant you will get. Certain income is disregarded.

Q. Does my home qualify?

Your home qualifies if it is privately owned (you or your family own it) or rented and you have the landlord’s permission to make the changes. (The tenancy must also be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board).

You must live in the property as your primary home when the work is completed.

If you live in a social home, you do not qualify for the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability. However, there is a similar scheme available for social housing tenants, called the Disabled Person’s Grant Scheme.

Q. What happens if I start the work before I get grant approval?

The grant will not be paid if you start work before you get grant approval. However, it is expected the work will start within six months of grant approval. If this does not happen, the local authority may allow a time extension.

Q. What grant is available to assist older people to carry our essential repairs to their home?

A. The Housing Aid for Older People Grant is for essential repairs to improve the condition of an older person’s home so they can continue to live there. It is aimed at people aged 66 and older living in poor housing conditions. However, in cases of genuine hardship, the local authority may help people under the age of 66. This means-tested grant is paid for essential work to privately-owned homes. You must either own the home or have a right to live in the home where the work will be done

Essential repairs can include repairing or replacing the roof; upgrading the electrical wiring; repairing or replacing the windows and doors; providing central heating.

You should check with Cork County Council to see what types of repairs they will cover.

You will also need to include further information depending on the type of repairs you need. 

If you need:

Roof repairs, you should include a letter from your insurance company stating these repairs are not covered under your policy

To upgrade the electrical wiring, you should include a report from a registered electrician describing the necessary repairs.

To replace an existing central heating system, you should include a report from a heating contractor saying that the existing heating system is ‘beyond economic repair’. This means that it is more cost-effective to replace the heating system than repair it.

You do not need any medical documents for this grant, as it is based on the condition of your home, and how urgently the repairs are needed. However, if your application is urgent due to a medical condition, your doctor will need to complete the Doctor’s Certificate section of the application form.

Q. How much is the Housing Aid for Older People grant?

The amount you get depends on your gross household income for the previous tax year after any disregards and deductions are applied. The maximum grant available is €10,700 or 100% of the cost of the work approved by your local authority. The grant covers some of the cost of work needed, but not all of it.

This maximum grant is available to people with annual household incomes of less than €37,500. It reduces to 30% for those with annual household incomes of €62,501 to €75,000.

Q. What is the Mobility Aids Scheme?

It provides grants for basic work designed to address mobility problems in the home, such as the purchase and installation of grab-rails, an accessible shower, access ramps, a stair-lift or a fixed track hoist. The scheme is primarily for older people, but people with a disability can also apply. It is available to people with a household income of less than €37,500 a year.

The maximum grant you can get is €8,000. It may cover 100% of the cost of the works.

Q. How do I apply?

Get the application form from your local Citizens Information Centre or local authority, or download it from gov.ie . The one application form is used to apply for the three different grants mentioned above.

The form has detailed information about the scheme’s conditions and a checklist of documents you must include. You can also contact the Housing Section of your local authority for information about the eligibility rules in your area.

Q. I received one of these housing grants previously, can I apply for a further grant?

In general, work done on your home is expected to be appropriate to your future needs as well as current needs. However, if your needs change substantially over time, you may find further works are required. You can apply again and your application will be assessed in the normal way. There is no minimum time limit between the two payments.