Disabled woman has waited years for downstairs loo

Beverley Douglas struggles to get up the stairs at her home in Gloucester

A disabled woman has said she is frustrated and upset after waiting for three years to have a downstairs toilet installed.

Beverley Douglas has mobility issues which make it difficult for her to get up the stairs at her home in Gloucester.

The 60-year-old said she had applied for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) three years ago for the work to be carried out at the house, which she rents from Gloucester City Homes (GCH).

The housing association said it had agreed in principle for the work to be undertaken and had offered to fund and install various adaptations in Ms Douglas' home.

Sara Weaving said some people find the grant process difficult and bureaucratic

Ms Douglas, who lives in Robinswood, said her landlords had disagreed with her over the specific design of the work.

"I've had fractures, bruises, sprains, it's ridiculous, and all of these injuries has made my situation worse," she said.

"It has taken three years [to get to this stage] but from the point of view of me asking GCH to do the applications, it has taken ten years." she added.

Ms Douglas suffers from serious back problems caused by an operation that went wrong. Then in 2013 she was involved in a car accident which made her situation worse.

A formal application for the work has not been submitted.

DFGs can be filled out by tenants or landlords and require both parties to agree on the works needed before the full application can be made.

It is paid for by central government and managed by local authorities.

Gloucester-based charity Can You See Me works with people to help them fill out their applications and says there is lots of red tape.

"It's just such a long-winded process, they need things now, not in like two years time," the charity's founder, Sara Weaving said.

"It causes so much stress," she added.

Recognise the barriers

The grant has been capped at £30,000 since 2008 and is likely to remain so, after plans to increase the amount were quietly shelved last month.

The money comes from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

A spokesperson said, “Government funding for the grant has more than doubled, rising from £220m in 2015-16 to £625m for 2024-25.

“Councils have flexibility to provide grants above the £30,000 limit in line with a locally agreed and published Housing Assistance Policy.”

Gloucester City Homes said it "recognises the barriers that many disabled people, like Beverley, continue to face".