Dementia sufferers in Cannock could receive thousands of pounds in support

Residents with disabilities who need adaptations to allow them to continue living independently at home can currently apply for a £30,000 Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) as part of a Government scheme – this also applies to those with dementia.

In Cannock Chase the district council also offers discretionary assistance if the work needed costs more than £30,000, through a top-up grant.

Both grants are means-tested however, and a council working group has heard that there is a low take-up of the DFG – as well as people dropping out of the application process.

Councillor Muriel Davies said: "There people out there who still don’t know what they can apply for or how to apply for it.

"I am dealing with a person at the moment who is in that position – they own their own home and say ‘we can’t apply for anything’ – that’s one of the attitudes we get from homeowners. They feel they can’t get anything but there are things they can go for.

"We need to do a lot of publicity to get information to areas so people know about what’s there. At the end of the day they may say ‘let’s throw it away because no-one is using it’ and we don’t want to lose it.”

A report to the councul revealed that the DFG funding available in the district for grants this year was £926,470 – which potentially is not being fully used. The money for 2019-20 was allocated by Staffordshire County Council through the Better Care Fund.

Councillor Doug Smith said: “As a member of Cannock Lions we are frequently approached by people who say they can’t be helped. They feel because they own their own home there isn’t an option.”

Councillor Maureen Upton added: “I agree it needs going to as many residents as we possibly can, if there is information to go out into libraries and post offices which many of our elderly use. We now have dementia groups across the district – perhaps these kind of people could be reached as well?

"Needs have changed, especially with dementia. We have looked at other authorities and this is really bringing it up to date. I think we’re ahead of the game in changing our policy."

New financial assistance areas have now been considered, to cover works to help prevent residents entering hospital or aid in their discharge, as well as carer support, dementia and assistive technology.

The proposed changes, if approved, would mean that in addition to the existing DFG and discretionary assistance new grants could be introduced.

At this week's wellbeing scrutiny committee members welcomed the proposed policy changes and said they should be recommended to the council’s cabinet for approval.

They also called for the help available to residents to be more widely publicised too, so those in need of support were aware of what they could apply for.