A significant number of people will be eligible to take advantage of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability thanks to a decision at cabinet today, where increases in grant limits and income thresholds were discussed by Government.
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage , Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Alan Dillon TD and Minister of State for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan TD have announced their intention to increase grant limits by over 30% and the income thresholds by 25%.
The changes will be made on foot of a review, which also recommends adjusting the burden sharing for local authorities by reducing the local authority funding contribution to 15% (from the existing 20%) together with a number of amendments to the means test.
Earlier this year it was announced that exchequer funding amounting to €74.5m nationally, with nearly €19m of local authority funding, was to be earmarked for the scheme, an increase of 12% on 2023 numbers. That corresponds to over €2m in Offaly, with a maximum grant of €40,000 to any single applicant.
I'm firmly behind the prompt and decisive response to the recommendations of the report.
The increase in the cost of construction projects of any nature has been significant in recent years, and when families or individuals are faced with a change in their circumstances, and they are often on fixed incomes, it’s vital that the means-testing limits and the level of assistance available reflects the changing economic reality.
These new thresholds will mean that a household with income levels up to €37,500 a year (up from €30,000) is eligible for 100% support for necessary modifications, and that the cost that will be covered increases from €30,000 to €40,000, with corresponding increases at all income and grant levels.
Over 150,000 grants have been paid to older people and disabled people in the lifetime of this scheme nationally, with thousands of those here in Offaly. This has facilitated those applicants to remain in their own homes and communities, and in many cases preventing premature entry to residential care, and ensuring that people can stay close to the people that they care about, and the people that care about them.
I also support the increased deduction for children and full-time carers (€5,000 to €6,250) and the introduction of deductions for mortgage/rent expenses, residential care fees, and the cost of care in the home. All of these measures recognise the realities that hard-pressed people face when they suddenly need to make significant modifications to a home to accommodate a loved one.
Commenting today Minister O’Brien said:
I fully support the recommendations of this important review which will have a real and positive impact on the lives of older and disabled people. Since this Government has taken office we have increased the funding of these grants by over 27% from €73M in 2020 to more than €93M in 2024. This review, the first in more than a decade, will ensure that even more people are eligible to apply. These grants are a lifeline for many families and individuals – meaning they can live independently, in the comfort of their own communities, for as long as possible.
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