ALONE Submission to Housing Adaptation Grants Working Group
This submission to the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People Application Process Working Group was developed to inform the work of the group and the Department in relation to the application form and process. It was informed by the needs of the older people ALONE support and with input from our Services staff, which number over 150, across our 12 services teams, covering all Local Authority areas and the 96 Community Health Networks (CHNs; local primary and community care networks serving populations of about 50,000 people each). It includes an overview of challenges experienced by older people and the ALONE staff who support them, and recommendations for changes.
Although this submission focuses on issues specific to the application form, the most significant challenge in relation to the application process experienced by older people and reported by our staff is that the grants are often oversubscribed, with long waiting times. One third of Local Authorities were reported to be experiencing difficulties with operating the grants in 2025, and at the date of submission, ALONE was aware of nine Local Authorities which were closed to applications.
ALONE strongly recommends that the Working Group continue beyond the redesign of the form to address wider systemic issues, including funding, waiting lists, and consistency across Local Authorities.
