9. Completion of works
Completion of works
The completion process
Your occupational therapist and the DFG service will sign off the works when finished. We only pay the grant when we are certain that works have been satisfactorily completed. We will ask you to sign a satisfaction form confirming you are happy with the work and that we can make the payment.
Making a contribution to the costs
If you need to make a contribution to the cost, you must pay this direct to the builder once you are happy with the work. You must pay your contribution before we will release grant funding.
Documents the builder must provide
The builder must provide us with a final invoice and copies of all the necessary completion documents. These can include electrical certificates, building control sign off and warranties. We will need a copy of these documents before we will make a final payment.
Arranging payment
We will usually pay the grant direct to the contractor once the work is complete and you have given permission. If you wish, you can ask us to pay the grant to you instead. Make sure you state on the application form if the payee should be you, the contractor or agent. In some cases, usually larger jobs, we make staged payments as the work progresses.
Following completion
We will confirm when the project is complete. If the grant is for a homeowner, and the works have attracted a local land charge, we will enter it on the local land charges system. It will then appear on property searches throughout the condition period.
Once the grant related work is complete, it will be your responsibility to arrange for annual servicing of equipment. You should follow the advice provided by the equipment manufacturers. For larger projects, there will be a defects liability period. You should notify the contractor immediately if you have any concerns.
Your home insurance company and mortgage provider should be notified as applicable.
If there are problems after the grant has been paid
We are not responsible for equipment or building problems that occur after we have paid the grant.
If you have a problem, you should:
- check warranties and insurances the contractor gave you
- ask your contractor or equipment supplier to investigate and resolve the problem
If the problem is not resolved
If you’re not satisfied that the contractor has resolved the problem, you can:
- contact Trading Standards
- phone the national Citizens’ Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 04 05 06 for advice on what to do
- inform the DFG service about your concerns, as although we can't assist you, we can keep a record for future reference