Home adaptation · 19 September 2026
Housing grant refused or cut? How to appeal the council’s decision within 3 weeks
Quick answer
If the council refuses your Housing Adaptation Grant, Mobility Aids Grant or Housing Aid for Older People grant, you can appeal in writing within 3 weeks of the decision, explaining why. Someone in the council who was not involved in the first assessment looks at it, and the answer can take up to 6 weeks. Check the reason first: income, a missing OT report, tax or Local Property Tax, and work started early are the usual ones.
The appeal rules
- Who can appeal: anyone whose application for one of the three council home grants was unsuccessful. For the Housing Adaptation Grant and the Mobility Aids Grant, you can also appeal if you are unhappy with the decision.
- How: in writing to the local authority, clearly explaining why you are appealing.
- When: within 3 weeks of the decision. Put the date in your diary the day the letter arrives.
- Who decides: someone in the council who was not involved in the original assessment.
- How long: up to 6 weeks for the result.
The usual reasons, and what to check
Read the decision letter for the reason, then check it against the rules below. Most refusals come down to one of these.
- Income over the limit. Under €37,500 for the Mobility Aids Grant, up to €75,000 for the Housing Adaptation Grant and Housing Aid for Older People. Check the council left out what it should: Fuel Allowance, the Household Benefits Package, the Living Alone Allowance, Child Benefit, carer’s payments, €6,250 for each child under 18, up to €6,250 for mortgage or rent, and the care fee allowances. If your income is over the Mobility Aids Grant limit, the adaptation grant’s income bands may still pay a share.
- A missing OT report. The Housing Adaptation Grant needs one for an extension, a stairlift or through-floor lift, a fixed track hoist or a big change to how a room is used. The Mobility Aids Grant needs one for a stairlift or hoist. Getting an OT report that names the works.
- Tax or Local Property Tax not in order. Both must be up to date. A Housing Adaptation Grant of more than €10,000 also needs tax clearance from Revenue, which you can apply for online or by post.
- Work started before approval. The grant is not paid if work starts before the council approves it. An appeal is unlikely to change this.
- Renting without the paperwork. You need your landlord’s permission, and the tenancy must be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board.
- Social housing. Council tenants do not qualify for these grants. Ask the council about the Disabled Person’s Grant Scheme instead.
- Not your main home. You must live there as your primary home when the work is finished.
- Under 66, for Housing Aid for Older People. The council may only help under-66s in cases of hardship, so say what the hardship is.
If it was approved, but for less than you asked
For the Housing Adaptation Grant and the Mobility Aids Grant, the rules let you appeal a decision you are unhappy with, not only a refusal. Set out which works you asked for, which were approved, and why the rest are needed. If the OT report recommends them, quote the exact words. Check the sections of the council form to recheck, because a vague description of the works is easy to cut.
What to put in the appeal letter
- Your name, the address of the property and the application reference from the decision letter.
- The date of the decision, and one line saying you are appealing it.
- Why you think it is wrong, point by point, matched to the reason the council gave.
- The evidence: a corrected income figure with the disregards applied, the OT report, a landlord’s letter, tax clearance, whatever answers the reason.
- A request that the appeal is decided by someone not involved in the first assessment, as the rules provide.
- Your phone number and email, and the date. Keep a copy, and proof of when you sent it.
If the letter does not make the reason clear, contact the council’s housing grants section and ask, well before the 3 weeks are up.
Other routes if the answer is still no
- If the Housing Adaptation Grant does not fit, the smaller grant with a lower income limit may, and the other way round.
- For an older homeowner who needs repairs rather than adaptations, the repairs grant for people aged 66 or over.
- Whatever the grant decision, Revenue may refund the VAT on qualifying aids and appliances such as a stairlift or hoist.
If the paperwork is the part that stops you
Everything above is enough to appeal yourself, for free. If you would rather have it drafted, our kit includes the appeal letter, along with the chase letter, checklist and timeline, for €49.99. We never ask for your PPS number, income figures or documents. Questions first? Email hello@thegranthub.ie, free.
Common questions
How long do I have to appeal a Housing Adaptation Grant decision?
3 weeks from the decision. The appeal must be in writing to the local authority and explain why you are appealing.
Who decides the appeal?
Someone in the local authority who was not involved in the original assessment. The result can take up to 6 weeks.
Can I appeal if the grant was approved but for less than I asked?
For the Housing Adaptation Grant and the Mobility Aids Grant, yes. You can appeal if you are unhappy with the decision, not only if it is refused.
Can I appeal if I started the work before approval?
You can write, but the rules say the grant is not paid if work starts before the council approves it, so an appeal is unlikely to succeed.
What if I live in council housing?
Social housing tenants do not qualify for these three grants. There is a similar scheme for them, the Disabled Person’s Grant Scheme, run by the council’s housing section.
Would you rather we drafted the appeal?
Our €49.99 grant kit includes an appeal letter and chase letter, prepared from a short questionnaire. Everything on this page stays free.
See the kit with the appeal letter →