Assistance for housing improvement: April 2023 to March 2024
Information on expenditure by local authorities on housing improvement, Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) and renewal areas for April 2023 to March 2024.
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In this page
Introduction
This release presents information on financial help provided by local authorities for home improvement and repair under the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 (UK legislation). It includes information on disabled facilities grants (DFGs) approved under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (UK legislation). Assistance is primarily aimed at improving private sector housing but is also available for social housing via housing renewal schemes. The information presented in this release is used to monitor trends in local authority activity to improve the quality of housing stock. More detailed tables showing local authority breakdowns are available on StatsWales.
Main points
- In 2023-24, the overall expenditure on assistance for housing improvement (including DFGs) was £56.5 million.
- This is the highest expenditure recorded, owing to an underspend during the pandemic as well as recent increases in cost and demand.
- Of the overall expenditure, £44.3 million (78%) was spent on mandatory DFGs.
- The average spending per mandatory DFG was £9,600.
Overall expenditure (including DFGs)
This section looks at the overall expenditure of local authority assisted home improvement and repair. This includes:
- direct local authority expenditure (in the form of grants and loans)
- mandatory and non-mandatory DFGs, which contribute to adaptations that enable a disabled person to continue living in their home
- indirect local authority expenditure (in the form of third-party assistance and loans facilitated by local authorities)
- financial contributions made by individual residents
It does not include expenditure by individuals which does not involve, or is not supported by, the local authority.
Figure 1: Overall expenditure (£ millions) on assistance for housing improvement by type of expenditure, 2014-15 to 2023-24 [Note 1]
Description of Figure 1: A stacked column chart showing that in the past 10 years, expenditure on mandatory DFGs has varied between 67% and 78% while expenditure on other forms of housing improvement has varied between 22% and 33%.
Source: Annual Assistance for housing improvement and Disabled facilities grants for housing returns from local authorities.
[Note 1] Incudes non-mandatory DFGs, direct and indirect local authority assistance and residents' contributions.
[Note 2] Data not collected for 2019-20 due to impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In 2023-24, the overall expenditure for home improvement and repair was £56.5 million. This marked a 21% increase on the expenditure recorded in the previous year (£46.6 million) and is a 24% increase on the levels observed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (£45.7 million in 2018-19).
In 2023-24, mandatory DFGs accounted for 78% of the overall expenditure (£44.3 million). This was a small increase on the previous year (76%) and the highest proportion accounted for by mandatory DFGs in the past 10 years. In the most recent year, non-mandatory DFGs accounted for a further £3.4 million (6% of the overall expenditure).
In the past 10 years, spending on indirect local authority assistance (in the form of third-party assistance and facilitated loans) has fluctuated between £257,000 and £3.9 million. In the most recent year, £792,000 was spent on indirect local authority assistance, this was a large increase on the previous year (£424,000). Some LAs have moved their medium adaptations away from being means tested and are therefore reporting them as discretionary grants rather than mandatory DFGs.
Figure 2: Overall expenditure (£ thousands) per 1,000 dwellings by local authority, 2023-24 [Note 1]
Description Figure 2: Clustered bar chart showing that the greatest expenditure per 1,000 dwellings was found in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wrexham, and Cardiff, with over £50,000 spent per 1,000 dwellings.
Source: Annual Assistance for housing improvement and Disabled facilities grants for housing returns from local authorities.
[Note 1] Based on Dwelling stock estimates at 31 March 2023.
At a local authority level, Rhondda Cynon Taf reported the greatest overall expenditure in 2023-24 at £9.4 million (equivalent to spending of £84,600 per 1,000 dwellings). The second and third highest expenditures were reported by Cardiff (£8.2 million) and Swansea (£4.8 million). Rhondda Cynon Taf also reported the greatest spending per 1,000 dwellings (£84,600) noting an increase in the number of applications received following the easing of all covid restrictions.
Between 2022-23 and 2023-24 the largest increases in overall expenditure were observed in Rhondda Cynon Taf (from £6.2 million to £9.4 million) and Swansea (from £3.5 million to £4.8 million). The largest increases in spending per 1,000 dwellings were observed in Rhondda Cynon Taf (from £56,300 to £84,600) and Flintshire (from £12,000 to £27,400).
DFGs
This section of the release focuses on mandatory DFGs (approved under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (UK legislation)) and additional, non-mandatory DFGs (including ‘top-up’ loans and grants).
In 2023-24, £44.3 million was spent on mandatory DFGs, up 25% on the previous year and the greatest expenditure reported in the past 10 years, exceeding levels observed prior to the pandemic.
Figure 3: Average expenditure (£) per mandatory DFG by local authority, 2023-24
Description of Figure 3: A clustered bar chart showing that the average spending per DFG by local authority described in text below.
Source: Annual Assistance for housing improvement and Disabled facilities grants for housing returns from local authorities.
In the most recent year, a total of 4,595 mandatory DFGs were completed. The average spending per mandatory DFG was £9,600, an increase of £700 from the previous year. At a local authority level, average expenditure per mandatory DFG varied from £13,300 in Monmouthshire to £7,200 in Caerphilly.
In 2023-24, a further £3.4 million was spent on non-mandatory DFGs. This marked a 62% increase on 2022-23, the greatest expenditure reported in the past 10 years, exceeding levels observed prior to the pandemic.
Housing improvement (excluding DFGs)
In 2023-24, £8.8 million was spent on housing improvement through local authority grants, loans, third-party assistance and residents’ contributions. This marked a decrease of 3% on 2022-23. In total, 3,480 dwellings were improved through this expenditure, down 7% on the previous year. The average spending per dwelling was £2,500, consistent with the past 10 years.
Figure 4: Number of dwellings improved by tenure, 2023-24 [Note 1]
Description of Figure 4: A clustered bar chart showing the number of dwellings improved by tenure in 2023-24, described in text below.
Source: Annual Assistance for housing improvement and Disabled facilities grants for housing returns from local authorities.
[Note 1] Excludes dwellings improved through DFGs only.
In 2023-24, the majority of improved dwellings were owner occupied (59%). A smaller proportion of improvements took place in socially rented (19%) or privately rented dwellings (2%). The proportion of improved dwellings which were accounted for by owner occupiers has ranged between 54% and 66% over the past 10 years.
In the most recent year, 58% of dwellings were improved for people with disabilities and 27% for elderly people (aged 60 and above). Whilst there have been more fluctuations in the distribution of improved dwellings by recipient type, these proportions are similar to the average recorded in the past 5 years excluding 2019-20 (between 2017-18 and 2022-23, 66% of improved dwellings were occupied by people with disabilities and 23% by elderly people). Please note that if a recipient falls into both disability and elderly categories, they will have been counted in the disability category only.
Renewal areas
Renewal areas were established to improve housing and general amenities of an area where social and environmental problems are combined with poor housing. Area-based renewal schemes enabled local authorities to focus activity and investment on areas that combine a need for assistance with the potential for regeneration.
Renewal area expenditure has steadily decreased in the past 10 years, from £29.1 million in 2013-14 to £2,000 in 2023-24. In the most recent year, all renewal area expenditure (£2,000) was accounted for in Conwy.
Future collections
In August 2024 a research report summarising information on housing adaptations completed within the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 was published. The data within this report was collected directly from Care & Repair agencies, local authorities and housing associations by the Welsh Government. Submissions were received from all 13 Care & Repair agencies, all 22 local authorities, all 23 traditional housing associations, and 10 of 11 Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) bodies which took over the ownership of former council housing. Of the 10 LSVTs which submitted a return, three submitted a nil return. This report does not therefore provide a complete national picture of the delivery of housing adaptations. However, given the scope of this data collection, we are considering whether it could replace the information currently collected annually from local authorities on assistance for housing improvement as published within this release. We will be reviewing the content and scope of this release in due course and welcome any feedback on these early proposals.
Please provide your comments by email to: stats.housing@gov.wales
Quality and methodology information
Official Statistics status
All official statistics should show the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics (UK Statistics Authority).
These are accredited official statistics, published by the Welsh Government. They were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) in November 2012. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
It is Welsh Government’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected of accreditation. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with OSR promptly. Accreditation can be cancelled or suspended at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored.
Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics
Our statistical practice is regulated by the OSR. OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
All of our statistics are produced and published in accordance with a number of statements and protocols to enhance trustworthiness, quality and value. These are set out in the Welsh Government’s Statement of Compliance.
These accredited official statistics (OSR) demonstrate the standards expected around trustworthiness, quality and public value in the following ways.
Trustworthiness
We have made these statistics available in a timely manner to meet user needs. We have followed relevant protocols for releasing these statistics, ensuring that circulation before publication has been restricted to eligible recipients only.
Quality
We have made the limitations of this data clear to users (for example, highlighting where revisions have been made due to resubmission of corrected data returns).
Value
We have made every effort to ensure these statistics are accessible to users, using clear and succinct language (for example, we have expanded commentary to include more policy and operational context).
We welcome any feedback on how we can improve the value of these statistics.
You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFG)
The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 is about improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales. The Act puts in place seven wellbeing goals for Wales. These are for a more equal, prosperous, resilient, healthier and globally responsible Wales, with cohesive communities and a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. Under section (10)(1) of the Act, the Welsh Ministers must (a) publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the wellbeing goals, and (b) lay a copy of the national indicators before Senedd Cymru. Under section 10(8) of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators, they must as soon as reasonably practicable (a) publish the indicators as revised and (b) lay a copy of them before the Senedd. These national indicators were laid before the Senedd in 2021. The indicators laid on 14 December 2021 replace the set laid on 16 March 2016.
Information on the indicators, along with narratives for each of the wellbeing goals and associated technical information is available in the Wellbeing of Wales report.
Further information on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The statistics included in this release could also provide supporting narrative to the national indicators and be used by public services boards in relation to their local wellbeing assessments and local wellbeing plans.
