You may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant to cover the cost of a home stairlift if you or someone in your household has a disability or medical condition which makes using the stairs difficult.
Disabled Facilities Grants are administered by your local council, which will determine if you are eligible and how much money you will receive. You can apply to your local council if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and are the owner, tenant or landlord of the property where the stairlift is needed.
Your council must decide on your application within six months, but you should not start any work until your application is approved. The money will be paid once the work is complete and the council is satisfied with the result. It can be paid to you or your stairlift supplier.
For more information about Disabled Facilities Grants click here.
If you live in Scotland you may also be eligible for funding to cover the cost of a home stairlift, but the system is different. For more information click here.
| Type of Grant | Who could benefit? | How to apply | How much could I save? | Link to more information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disabled Facilities Grant | People with mobility challenges living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Through your local council | Up to 100% of the stairlift cost | Click here |
| Scheme of Assistance (Scotland) | People with mobility challenges living in Scotland | Through your local council | 80% to 100% of the stairlift cost | Click here |
| Help for veterans | Armed Forces veterans and their families | Through organisations such as the Royal British Legion, the Veterans Welfare Service and Help for Heroes | Varies by organisation | British Royale Legion Veterans Welfare Service Help for Heroes |
| Charitable grants | The elderly, disabled and those on a low income | Through charities such as The Edward Gostling Foundation and Independence at Home | Varies by charity | Edward Gostling Foundation Independence at Home |
| Charitable grants for specific medical conditions | People living with specific medical conditions (eligibility criteria varies) | Through charities helping people cope with debilitating medical conditions | Varies by charity | Motor Neurone Disease Association Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust |
| Margaret’s Fund | Women with mobility challenges | Application must be made by a ‘supporting professional’ | Case-specific funding | Margaret’s Fund |
| Scottish Welfare Fund | Residents of Scotland on low income or receiving certain benefits | Through the Scottish Government | Case-by-case funding | Click here |
| Care and Repair Scotland | People over 60 or with a disability | Contact through the website | Doesn’t directly fund but guides you through obtaining grants and installation | Click here |
| Royal Agricultural Benevolent Association | People involved in farming | Through the charity | Partial to full cost of stairlift | Click here |
| Electrical Industries Charity | Workers in the electrical and energy industries and their families | Contact through the website | Partial to full cost of stairlift | Click here |
Another charity, called turn2us, helps people make sure they are receiving the benefits they are entitled to, and find grant funding for essential and practical help such as installing a stairlift. Its website has a useful ‘Grant Search’ facility which helps people find out if they are eligible for a grant, and how to apply for it. To visit the turn2us website, click here.
If you live in England or Wales you may be eligible to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if all of the following apply to you:
If you live in Scotland you need to apply for Adult Disability Payment (ADP) instead.
If you’re over State Pension age, you can still make a new claim for PIP, but only if you’ve received it before and were eligible for it in the year before you reached State Pension age.
Alternatively, if you’re over State Pension age you can apply for Attendance Allowance, which helps cover extra costs if you have a disability so severe that you need someone to help look after you.
For more information visit: www.gov.uk/pip/eligibility or www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance.