Home adaptations and Disabled Facilities Grants

The request was partially successful.

Hello,

I hope you are well. Could you please treat my request for the information below as a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please could you provide the following information on Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) or similar grants provided under your discretionary Housing Assistance Policy:

1a. The total number of referrals from occupational therapists received for home adaptations in the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

1bi. The total number of households means tests completed for home adaptations in the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

1bii. How many potential applicants did not proceed with making a grant application following a means test in the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

1c. The total number of formal applications received for home adaptations in the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

1d. The total number of formal applications approved in the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

1e. The total number of grants completed in the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

For the questions below, please could you specify which average measure you are using, whether it is median or mean. However, the median would be preferable.

2a. What was the average number of working days from first contact for someone to receive an initial assessment from an occupational therapist (or similar person) in each of the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

2b. What was the average number of working days between someone receiving an initial assessment from an occupational therapist (or similar person) and the date of
the referral to the housing department/ district council in each of the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

2c. What was the average number of working days between the date of the referral to the housing department/ district council and the date of the formal grant application in each of the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

2d. What was the average number of working days between the date of
receipt of the formal application and the certified/ completion date of installing the adaptations in each of the financial years 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 until 30th September 2021?

3a. If the council is currently using its discretionary powers to provide additional funding in addition to the maximum DFG amount, please state what the new figure is and what legislation has been used to increase the figure.

In the spirit of Section 16 of the FOI Act — to “provide advice and assistance, so far as it would be reasonable to expect the authority to do so, to persons who propose to make, or have made requests for information” — if you cannot answer all of these questions, please contact me to discuss what information you could supply at the earliest opportunity on 07516275710.

If you feel you cannot provide all of this information, please provide the information you can.

Please could you acknowledge this FOI request by reply with a reference on receipt AND could the information be forwarded by email in an Excel (xls) document and not a PDF.

I look forward to hearing from you promptly, and at any rate, within the statutory time limit of 20 working days from your receipt of this email.

Whilst writing, I take this opportunity to remind you of the Information Commissioner's public statements, in which he has stated that there is a "presumption of disclosure" under FOI.

Please note that if this request for FOI disclosure is refused, I reserve the right to take up the matter with the Information Commissioner and/or to pursue all legal avenues of appeal.

Thank you in advance.

Kind regards,
Vicky Gayle

Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 22975829

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Dear Ms Gayle
 
Thank you for contacting Westminster City Council's Information Management
Team. 

Your query will be allocated for response, and someone will contact you
within 5 working days to confirm the details of your request. 

Please see the Council's website for further information on the Freedom of
Information Act
- [1]http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/c...

Kind regards, 
 
Information Management Team
Westminster City Council
64 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6QP
[email address]
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 

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Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 22975829

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Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 22975829

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Dear Ms Gayle
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your email of 19th October 2021.

The Council are aware your Freedom of Information request is due today.
The Council are still working on your request but need more time to
process it as we have not had a response from a department tasked with
responding. We are aiming to respond in the next few days but will inform
you of any further delays.

The Council would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause
and we will do our best to answer your request as soon as possible.

 
Yours sincerely
 
Westminster City Council
 
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 

Westminster City Council

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Information request
Our reference: 22975829

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Dear Ms Gayle
 
Thank you for your request for information received on 19 October 2021.
 
Please find attached our response to your request.

If you are dissatisfied with your response please send your Internal
Review request to the email address below

[1][email address]

 
Yours sincerely
 
Westminster City Council
 
 
 
 
NOTE: Please do not reply to this email.
 

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