Wicklow County Council is inviting applications for funding under the terms of the Housing Adaption Grants, Housing Aid for Older People Grants and Mobility Aid Grants.

Funding will be allocated to applicants on the basis of the following priorities:

• Priority One: The person is terminally ill or primarily dependent on family or a carer; or Adaptions to the home would support them leaving hospital /residential care
• Priority Two: The person is mobile, but they need help to access washing, toilet facilities, bedroom, and so on; or The person's ability to finction independently would be harder without the adaptions.
• Priority Three: The person is currently independent, but needs adaptions to future proof their home so they can live there independently.

Any queries please contact the Housing Office on (0404) 20100 or email grants@wicklowcoco.ie

Click below for further details

Standard Costs - Housing Grants December 2024

Application Form

Foirm Iarratais

Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme 

We have 3 different Grants available.  The same application form is used for all 3 grants.

All 3 grants are Means Tested which means the annual household income of the registered owner (and their spouse if applicable) must be below certain limits to qualify.

Please Note: The Max amount of grant is subject to Means Test

• Mobility Aids Grant (MAG).
  • Grab rails;
  • a ramp;
  • an accessible shower;
  • fixed track hoists (excluding any servicing, maintenance and training costs);
  • stair lift.

Max amount €8,000, Household income limit: Up to €37,500 p.a.

• Housing Adaptation Grant (HAG). 
  • a ramp or other ways to access your home;
  • grab rails;
  • bathroom facilities like an accessible shower or downstairs toilet;
  • a stair lift or through floor lift;
  • fixed track hoists (excluding any servicing, maintenance and training costs);
  • space for wheelchair access;
  • an extension (typically for a bedroom and/or bathroom to accomodate a disabled person).

 Max amount €40,000, Household income limit: Max grant if income below €37,500, no grant  payable if income over €75,000 and sliding scale in between €37,500 and €75,000 – e.g. income of €45,000 = 75% grant.

• Housing Aid for Older People Grant (HOP).  
  • Help repair or replace the roof;
  • upgrade the electrical wiring;
  • repair or replace doors and windows;
  • repair heating where it is broken or provide heating where there is no heating. Grants are not available to buy new fossil fuel boilers, for example oil or gas boilers.

NOTE: Upgrades of existing Double Glazed PVC windows will not be approved under the HOP Grant.

Max amount €10,700, Household income limit: Max grant if income below €37,500, no grant payable if income over €75,000 and sliding scale in between €37,500 and €75,000 – e.g. income of €45,000 = 75% grant.

          
A G.P. cert can be submitted in support, if the applicant has medical issues but is NOT MANDATORY.

Grant Type:                                   
 
Mobility Aid Grant:  OT Report required?:  Depends on nature of work involved.      

• Stairlifts and fixed track hoist require OT reports. 

Housing Adaptation Grant:   OT Report required?:  Yes                                     

• a big change to the use of a room in your home;
• a stair lift of through floor lift;
• a fixed track hoist;
• an extension.

Housing Aid for Older People: OT Report required?: No                                 

• This is not a grant intended for disability or medical issues, so OT reports are not needed.
   

OT reports may be supplied by the Applicants themselves – e.g. if an applicant is receiving treatment in a hospital, the hospital’s OT may supply the report.

Private OTs may also be used by applicants if they wish. The cost of the OT report  up to a maximum of €300 will be included in the grant amount (but note that reduces the amount available to carry out the work by €300).

However, the majority of grant OT reports are done by OTs supplied by Wicklow County Council. The Council pays the OT directly in this case. The Council will decide if an OT report is required.

• Who is responsible for finding a contractor or supplier?

The applicant must engage a builder or supplier to do the work or supply a stairlift for example.
Who pays the Contractor?

The grant applicant must find a contractor or supplier as appropriate and must pay them. Deposits etc are a matter between the applicant and the contractor/supplier. Grants are paid to the applicant on completion of the work and on satisfactory inspection by the Council.  Grants will not be paid if the work is not done in accordance with the standard specifications, the OT report and/or any other conditions stipulated in the grant approval letter.  The grant is paid electronically into the applicant’s bank account.

• Can I claim VAT back?

Applicants may claim back the VAT which they have paid to a contractor or supplier where it relates to works or supply of equipment in connection with disability. For this reason, grants are VAT exclusive. The Council will supply the applicant with the appropriate Revenue form so that the applicant may claim VAT back from the Revenue Commissioners but it is up to the applicant to pursue this with Revenue.
Tax Clearance Certificates

All contractors and suppliers used by grant applicants must have Tax Clearance.
Applicants also must have Tax Clearance when the grant amount paid to them in one year exceeds €10,000. It is up to the applicant to deal with this themselves. This point is often overlooked by applicants and will delay payment of the grant if Tax Clearance is not in order.

• I don’t own the dwelling I’m living in – can I still get a grant?

Yes. If you are living in a private rented dwelling (i.e. you pay rent to a private landlord) or a dwelling owned by an Approved Housing Body (e.g. Threshold, Respond, etc) you can apply for a grant.

• Appliances

Please note that the Council does not give grants for appliances (e.g. portable hoists) – the HSE should be contacted in relation to Appliances. Anything which is not part of the structure of the house or not bolted or screwed to it, is considered to be an appliance.

• Delayed Discharges

It is our policy to prioritise Delayed Discharges. This means any applicant who is currently occupying a hospital bed but whose treatment is now complete but cannot be discharged until appropriate adaptations are made in their home. If we are made aware of such cases, we will liaise with the hospital to facilitate rapid processing of the grant. In such cases the Hospital’s own OT department may supply a report and provide input into the required adaptations.