The heat really affects my MS. Could I get a government grant for air conditioning?

We are sorry to hear that heat has such a negative impact on your MS. We support a lot of people affected by heat intolerance and we know that it can be a debilitating symptom to try and manage. It may be useful for you to read our blog on ‘MS heat sensitivity’ which gives some general tips on how to keep cool.

There could be some good news. Depending on eligibility, there is a means tested government grant that could possibly help with funding the cost of an air conditioning unit for your home.

The Disabled Facilities Grant’ (DFG) is grant funding to help with providing facilities or adaptations to a home to meet the needs of a disabled person. If you meet the eligibility, the DFG is available from your local council if you are an owner, in social housing or in rented accommodation. The maximum grant payable is £30,000 in England, £25,000 in Northern Ireland and £36,000 in Wales.

The housing charity Shelter have detailed guidance (including the legal framework) on DFG funding which will be useful to read if your home needs a major adaptation to make life easier and you are thinking of applying to your local council for help.

The DFG is most commonly used to adapt shower rooms, add overhead track hoists, widen doorways and add accessible features to kitchens and living spaces. Most local authorities and their DFG specialist assessors are used to seeing requests and applications for these kind of adaptations.

Air conditioning to aid heat intolerance is a far less common use of the grant, however, it should be a possible to use it in this way. Within the government’s ‘DFG delivery: Guidance for local authorities in England’ it says ‘Air conditioning or other cooling systems could also be considered where heat exposure can cause or heighten fatigue, numbness, blurry vision, tremors, confusion, imbalance, and weakness as associated with conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis.’

To be able to access a DFG we would suggest that you contact your local council occupational therapy service. An occupational therapist (OT) can help by assessing you and your home and make practical suggestions for supporting you to participate in everyday activities and maximise your independence.

An OT can help you access basic equipment (such as moving and handling aids) and assess your home for any larger adaptations (such as widening doorways or accessible showering).

The local authority OT would liaise with your MS team to gather evidence of how heat can impact on your symptoms and how air conditioning would benefit you.

It is also our understanding that accessing financial support from the DFG in a timely manner can be a somewhat of a ‘postcode lottery’. Each council has a certain sum of money allocated to it for their area each year. There is only a finite amount of funding available to each area and it tends to be allocated quickly, therefore creating a waiting list. This can often mean that people end up waiting a long time to get the adaptation, aid or additional facilities that can meet their needs.

DFG’s are usually means tested for adults and income, capital and savings can affect the amount of grant you can receive. You can find out how much by using the means test calculator at adaptmyhome.org.uk.

It should be pointed out that the maximum DFG awarded will differ depending upon the UK country you live in. The DFG is not available for people in Scotland however similar financial support is available for aids and adaptations.