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
|
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.
|
|
Special clothing or footwear/additional wear and tear to clothing and footwear.
|
Reasonable amount for extra cost caused by disability |
Reasonable amount for extra cost caused by disability
|
| Internet access | Reasonable amount for additional cost due to disability |
Reasonable amount for additional cost due to disability
|
| Transport costs necessitated by illness or disability |
Transport costs necessitated by illness or disability
|
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.
|
| 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.