Hundreds of older and disabled people across the country will benefit from an extra £11.5m for home adaptations to help them live independently in their homes, it has been announced.

The funding will help councils ramp up their Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) programme until the end of March, Communities Minister Baroness Andrews revealed today.

The programme already helps around 35,000 disabled and older people live safely and independently in their home each year by making adaptations such as wheelchair ramps, stair lifts and downstairs bathrooms.

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Baroness Andrews, said: "The Disabled Facilities Grant provides domestic adaptations that make a huge difference to the quality of life of older people and disabled people. Every year the grant helps thousands of people live comfortably and safely in their own homes."

The highly successful programme has seen its funding more than double from £57m in 1997 to £126m this year. This now increases to £138m following this in year allocation. Applicants can receive grants up to £25,000 for the provision of adaptations.

Further announcements will be made in due course on the future funding of Disables Facilities Grant and a package of changes to improve delivery of the programme as part of the cross departmental review of the Disabled Facilities Grant.

(JM)