NAFAO guide to Disability Related Expenditure (DRE) 2025 to 2026

Our approach to assessing disability-related expenditure is anchored in national industry standards, specifically the NAFAO Guide to disability related expenditure. 

This guide is widely recognized and utilized as an industry benchmark by the majority of local authorities throughout the country, ensuring consistency and fairness in our assessments.

Heating Allowances 

Annual inflationary update based on RPI Fuel index for November 2024.  At this date fuel prices had decreased by 7% in the last 12 months.

The figures are obtained from Consumer price inflation tables - Office for National Statistics from the download "consumer price inflation detailed reference tables”. The figures are found in Table 41 detailed reference tables - % change over 12 months.

Figures for 2024/2025 Standard N East /E Midlands  N West / W Midlands
Single person - Flat / Terrace £2,123.77 £2,302.16 £2,571.57
Couple - Flat / Terrace £2,801.99 £3,034.24 £3,389.15
Single person - Semi-detached £2,255.73 £2,445.22 £2,731.39
Couples - Semi-detached £2,977.92 £3,220.12 £3,597.26
Single - Detached £2,744.38 £2,972.95 £3,325.97
Couples - Detached £3,617.69 £3,919.77 £4,379.51

Alternative Heating Allowance

Ofgem published annual estimates of average energy usage by house size, which can then be extrapolated to find the average energy bills by house size.

The estimate is calculated by multiplying the kWh use by the current average unit rates and adding in the current average standing charges (correct as at) 

•    Gas 7.51p per kWh 
•    Gas 29.11p per day (£106.25 per annum) standing charge
•    Electricity 30.11p per kWh
•    Electricity 52.97p per day (£193.34 per annum) standing charge

  Number of bedrooms Electricity usage (kWh) Gas usage (kWh) Estimated average annual dual fuel energy bill
Low 1-2 1800 7500 £1,261.04
Medium 3-4 2700 11500 £1,738.38
High 5+ 4100 17000 £2,435.12

Income / Disregards

Mandatory minimum income disregards for non-residential care and support are published in the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, replacing fairer charging allowances.

Single Adults 

Allowance 18-24 25 - pension age Pension age Lone parent
Not entitled to any premium £87.65 £110.60 £228.70 £110.60
Entitled to CP £140.00 £162.95 £281.05 £162.95
Entitled to DP £136.45 £159.40 N/A £159.40
Entitled to DP + CP £188.80 £211.75 N/A £211.75
Entitled to DP + EDP £160.30 £183.25 N/A £183.25
Entitled to DP + EDP + CP £212.65 £235.60 N/A £235.60

Couples

Allowance Under pension age Pension age*
Not entitled to any premium £88.35 £177.55
Entitled to CP £141.60 £230.80
Entitled to DP £123.75 N/A
Entitled to DP + CP £177.00 N/A
Entitled to DP + EDP £141.20 N/A
Entitled to DP + EDP + CP £194.45 N/A

* Where one partner is over state pension credit age the Pension Age MIG applies whether the person being assessed is under or over that age. 

Children

For each child the adult is responsible for that is a member of the same household an additional allowance of £101.25.

Non means tested disability benefits.

  Lower Middle High Standard Enhanced Disregard
Attendance allowance £72.65 N/A £108.55 N/A N/A N/A
DLA Care £28.70 £72.65 £108.55 N/A N/A N/A
PiP (Daily Living Costs) N/A N/A N/A £72.65 £108.55 N/A
DLA or PiP Mobility Components N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Fully

Armed forces and war pension payments to veterans

War pensions and Guaranteed Income Payments under the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation schemes are disregarded in full apart from constant attendance allowance. Armed forces and war pension payments to war widows and widowers.

£10 a week disregard of War Widows and War Widowers pension, survivors Guaranteed Income Payments from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, Civilian War Injury pension, any War Disablement pension paid to non-veterans and payments to victims of National Socialist persecution (paid under German or Austrian law)

Assets

Capital below £14,250 fully disregarded.

Tariff Income of: £1 per week for every £250 (or part of £250) above £14,250 and up to £23,250 (if the upper capital limit is applied.). N.B. These are the minimum limits required by guidance and councils can set higher.

Expenses

  • Mortgage payments/Rent -  allow full amount less any means tested benefit paid
  • Council Tax - allow full amount less any Local Council Tax reduction  applied
Item Amount Evidence
Community Alarm System

Actual cost, if reasonable
 

 Bills from or payments to provider

Privately arranged care


Private domestic support
 

 Actual cost where this is not provided as part of the care plan but the amount is reasonable and necessary for their care and support Evidence of employment arrangement and/or legally correct payments to an employee under UK employment and tax law. Where agency arranged evidence of billing and payment.
Specialist washing powder or laundry £4.86 per week

The assessment or care and support plan may identify a need. If not evidence from other sources and consideration of the nature and impact of any health problem or disability may provide a guide.


Identify more than 4 loads per week

Special clothing or footwear/additional wear and tear to clothing and footwear.


Additional cost for bedding

 Reasonable amount for extra cost caused by disability

Reasonable amount for extra cost caused by disability
The assessment or care and support plan may identify a need. If not evidence from other sources, which may include medical evidence, and consideration of the nature and the impact of any health problem or disability may provide a guide.


Evidence of purchase and payment.
Internet access Reasonable amount for additional cost due to disability

Reasonable amount for additional cost due to disability
Evidence that costs are higher due to disability.


Evidence of purchase and payment.
Transport costs necessitated by illness or disability

Transport costs necessitated by illness or disability
Reasonable amounts over and above the mobility component of PiP or DLA.


Where support with costs are available from other sources but have not been used this can be taken into account in considering reasonableness. For example transport to hospital appointments or council provided transport to a day centre.

 Evidence of payment and purchase
Special dietary needs
 		 Reasonable amount where demonstrated above average dietary costs

The assessment or care and support plan may identify a need. If not evidence from other sources, which may include medical evidence, and consideration of the nature and the impact of any health problem or disability may provide a guide.


Details of special purchases, including evidence of payment
Gardening Based on individual costs of garden maintenance As privately arranged care
Wheelchair £5.07 per week manual
£12.31 per week powered
 		 Evidence of purchase. No allowance if equipment provided free of charge
Power bed Actual cost divided by 500 (10 yr life) up to a maximum of £5.60 per week Evidence of purchase if available
 
Turning bed Actual cost divided by 500 up to a maximum of £9.80 per week Evidence of purchase if available
 
Power reclining chair Actual cost divided by 500 up to a maximum of £4.44 per week Evidence of purchase if available
 
Stair-lift Actual cost divided by 500 up to a maximum of £7.91 per week Evidence of purchase without DFG input
Hoist Actual cost divided by 500 up to a maximum of £3.89 per week Evidence of purchase without DFG input

In following national industry standards, we also ensure we are adhering to the care and support statutory guidance and its requirements as a local authority.  Section 40, Annex C of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance confirms the requirements as follows:

In assessing disability-related expenditure, local authorities should include the following. However, it should also be noted that this list is not intended to be exhaustive and any reasonable additional costs directly related to a person’s disability should be included:

  • payment for any community alarm system
  • costs of any privately arranged care services required, including respite care
  • costs of any specialist items needed to meet the person’s disability needs, for example:
  • Day or night care which is not being arranged by the local authority
  • specialist washing powders or laundry
  • additional costs of special dietary needs due to illness or disability (the person may be asked for permission to approach their GP in cases of doubt)
  • special clothing or footwear, for example, where this needs to be specially made; or additional wear and tear to clothing and footwear caused by disability
  • additional costs of bedding, for example, because of incontinence
  • any heating costs, or metered costs of water, above the average levels for the area and housing type
  • occasioned by age, medical condition or disability
  • reasonable costs of basic garden maintenance, cleaning, or domestic help, if necessitated by the individual’s disability and not met by social services
  • purchase, maintenance, and repair of disability-related equipment, including equipment or transport needed to enter or remain in work; this may include IT costs, where necessitated by the disability; reasonable hire costs of equipment may be included, if due to waiting for supply of equipment from the local council
  • personal assistance costs, including any household or other necessary costs arising for the person
  • internet access for example for blind and partially sighted people
  • other transport costs necessitated by illness or disability, including costs of transport to day centres, over and above the mobility component of DLA or PIP, if in payment and available for these costs. In some cases, it may be reasonable for a council not to take account of claimed transport costs – if, for example, a suitable, cheaper form of transport, for example, council-provided transport to day centres is available, but has not been used
  •  In other cases, it may be reasonable for a council not to allow for items where a reasonable alternative is available at lesser cost. For example, a council might adopt a policy not to allow for the private purchase cost of continence pads, where these are available from the NHS

Care and support statutory guidance

This publication is currently under review. 

The Health and Care Act 2022 revoked Schedule 3 and amended Section 74 of the Care Act 2014 on 1 July 2022. This means that certain parts of this guidance are out of date and in the process of being updated to reflect the relevant statutory changes.

Read Care and support statutory guidance