Merthyr Tydfil council does not have a clear plan to deliver housing adaptations, according to a report by Audit Wales. The review, carried out in February, examined how the council provides adaptations to support adults, children and young people to remain at home.
Audit Wales reviewed the council’s approach, delivery and monitoring arrangements. It found the council lacks a clear strategic plan for delivering housing adaptations and does not fully understand future demand. Its approach is shaped by available funding rather than need.
Monitoring and value for money concerns
The auditor said the council is not regularly monitoring delivery times or whether it is providing value for money. This limits its ability to plan resources, demonstrate impact and ensure adaptations are delivered in a timely way.
However, Audit Wales did note the council provides a clear and supportive service for users, with effective operational practices and partnership working. Strengths identified include working with partners to use temporary adapted accommodation to support hospital discharge, a contractor framework with established relationships with local building suppliers, and a single point of contact for applicants.
Weaknesses identified include a short-term view of funding, a lack of understanding of whether it delivers value for money, no understanding of medium-to-long-term demand for adaptations, and no monitoring of the time taken to deliver them.
Recommendations and funding pressures
Audit Wales made three recommendations: strengthening strategic planning, developing a longer-term funding and resource plan, and improving evaluation and oversight of performance and outcomes.
Home adaptations are changes to a home that make it easier for people to get around or do everyday tasks. The report said they have the potential to prevent falls and unnecessary admissions to care settings and may lead to positive impacts on people’s wellbeing. Examples include installing ramps or grab rails, adding a stair lift or wheelchair lift, fitting a level access shower or shower seat, and widening doorways for wheelchair access.
The council assesses people’s needs to decide if they are eligible for support. When they are, the council has a legal duty to provide services such as home adaptations or equipment to help people stay at home.
The Audit Wales report said: “It is key that adaptations are delivered as quickly as possible to help people stay living at home safely and independently. Delays may mean people are unable to undertake daily tasks or at risk of falls and needing to access other public services.”
The number of disabled facilities grant (DFG) requests has increased over the past three years, from 751 in 2023-24 to 770 in 2024-25 and 810 in 2025-26. The level of funding the council has allocated to housing adaptations has not changed for 10 years. When adjusted for inflation, this is a real-terms reduction of 26%, with the current £850,000 budget worth £600,000 compared to its original value. To maintain its original value, the budget would need to be approximately £1.2m today, the report said.
Work is continuing on the management response form, which sets out how the council will respond. The council fully accepts the recommendations, and a council officer said the form will provide a robust action plan of deliverable actions with clear milestones required to improve the strategic approach in delivering the DFG statutory service and how the council can demonstrate better value for money. Further work is ongoing to consider how the council can strengthen its capital planning arrangements, including evaluation of long-term priorities, assets, available resources and the affordability of investment. The DFG will be considered by the council’s sustainable scrutiny committee, including current and forecast challenges of delivering the mandatory service and its impact on service delivery and capital funding.
