Financing a Stairlift: Grants and Funding

This guide will help answer frequently asked questions about all aspects of financing a stairlift for your home. This includes UK stairlift grants and the options surrounding free stairlifts through social services. Read on for budgeting tips, fundraising information and suggestions for particular organisations and charities able to help.

For any questions related to how much does a stairlift cost, please see the relevant guides. These include the cost of new stairlifts and how much it costs to install a stairlift. You can also read about how your purchase assists Age UK.

FAQs

• Are there stairlift grants available?
• Can I get a grant for a stairlift?
• How to get a stairlift for free?
• How to get a stairlift from social services?​

Grants for stairlifts

Grants are available to help fund the cost of a new stairlift. If you or someone you know requires a stairlift but is worried about how they are going to finance it, then try not to write off the option of getting a stairlift completely. There are financing options available to those in need; carry on reading to find out more about stairlifts grants.

Grants and funding for stairlifts are available through a number of sources, from government grants to aid from charities and other organisations. It is important to bear in mind, however, that not everyone will qualify for certain types of financial aid, and a stairlift grant is not guaranteed, even if you are in need of one. Below is a selection of the grants available to help with the cost of a stairlift.

Stairlifts grants available

• The Disabled Facilities Grant
• Charities such as The Edward Gostling Foundation
• Referrals to charities from Occupational Therapists or health and social care workers through Independence At Home and Margaret’s Fund
• Specialist charities such as the SSAFA and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution

The Disabled Facilities Grant

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, there is a government grant available called the Disabled Facilities Grant or DFG. This grant is to help those who need to make alterations to their home and has a value of up to £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales, and £25,000 in Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Disabled Facilities Grants are not available. Contact Age Scotland for more information about what support you could receive.

The amount an individual receives from a DFG is means-tested, so it is based upon household income and household savings that are above £6,000. Many people should find that they are eligible for this stairlift grant but should not expect the maximum amount to be awarded as standard.

Applications for a DFG can be picked up from any local council. To apply for this local stairlift grant, you will need two written estimates from stairlift companies. Age Co Mobility can provide one of these for you when you book a home visit.

If you are a landlord and have a tenant in need of a stairlift, you can also apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant in order to help fit a stairlift in your rental property.

RABI - Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution can offer stairlifts grants to farming families across the UK. They can also offer free stairlifts to successful applicants. To begin the application process, please call their freephone helpline on 0808 2819490 and complete an application form. You will also be asked for some information about your financial situation, but after that, you could benefit from a grant to go towards a curved stairlift.

SSAFA

The Armed Forces charity can provide stairlift grants in the UK to anyone who has served in the armed forces and is in need of a home adaptation or home improvement. To begin the application process, please call their free helpline on 0800 731 4880.

A spokesperson for the charity says, “if you are a member of the Armed Forces, past or present, or a military partner or spouse, then please do get in touch with SSAFA so we can help adapt your home to help you cope with reduced mobility.”

Getting financial aid for a stairlift can take anywhere from 3–18 months to finalise. Therefore, if the cost of a new stairlift is not affordable, it might be worth considering buying a reconditioned stairlift. Waiting times for a new or reconditioned stairlift installation will typically be one week.

Check the Turn2us resource

Older people wanting an easy way to see if they can benefit from grants can look at the Turn2us website.

Una from Turn2us adds; “Make sure that you are receiving all of the welfare benefits that you are entitled to and check if there are any grants that you are eligible for. You can check both at Turn2us.org.uk.”

Using the website or speaking to one of the Turn2us advisors can help those trying to finance a stairlift find all the benefits and grants for stairlifts that they are eligible for.

Age Co

Are you looking for local stairlifts financing? Handicare works in association with Age Co and has numerous contracts to supply stairlifts funded by local authorities and through government grants. Age UK, the charity, does not work with local authorities but Age Co works with Handicare to make decisions about Age Co Mobility products and to assist in direct sales purchases.

Budgeting or fundraising for a stairlift

One of the most common ways to finance a stairlift is to budget for it yourself, but another route you can go down is to start a fundraising campaign that will help you pay for your stairlift.

Andrew Schrage, co-owner of Money Crashers Personal Finance, explains how making some shrewd financial moves can help finance a stairlift. He says;

"There are plenty of ways to finance your stairlift, and most of them involve external financing sources. But, with some shrewd financial moves, you might be able to do this without any outside help. Get yourself on a budget, then reduce your monthly expenses as much as possible. Once that's done, you should see a monthly surplus in your bank account, and you can use that money to finance your stairlift.”

Local fundraising is certainly one of the most traditional ways of financing essential work that can help those with a disability. The Chartered Institute of Fundraising provides plenty of helpful tips on fundraising, and, although their guidance videos are aimed at those who want to turn fundraising into a career, the ideas contained within them are useful for local fundraising, too.

Asking members of your local community to part with their money is quite likely to be a sensitive issue, so other funding methods may be more suitable. Some classic ideas include a cake sale, sponsored challenge or quiz night.

Are stairlifts tax-exempt?

Individuals purchasing stairlifts for their own personal use may be eligible for relief from any Value Added Tax (VAT). Eligibility for 0 per cent VAT is dependent on meeting certain criteria. To be eligible, the person must be ‘chronically sick or disabled’, and the stairlift must be for personal or domestic use. According to HMRC, ‘chronically sick or disabled’ means:

• Physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect upon his/her ability to carry out everyday activities.
• A condition which the medical profession treats as a chronic sickness, such as diabetes.

People purchasing a stairlift on behalf of a ‘chronically sick or disabled’ person won’t be stopped from claiming VAT relief.

The stairlift provider will ask individuals to complete a "User VAT declaration" at the point of sale to confirm eligibility. It will need to contain sufficient information to demonstrate that a customer fulfils all the criteria for eligibility. It is very important to do this at the point of sale and not after, as the zero-rating works by the supplier not charging VAT rather than working on a refund basis. Any errors will be sorted out by the supplier, not HMRC.

Those over 60 can qualify for a reduced rate of VAT (5%) for stairlifts and some other mobility aids that are installed for use in a private home.

Free stairlifts

If you think that your home requires adaptations to better suit your mobility needs, then you may be able to have some equipment added to your home for free. This includes features such as grab rails, ramps, and automatic lightings. To apply for disabled home equipment through your local council, visit the section on the government website.

How do you qualify for a free stairlift?

While a free stairlift is never guaranteed, in order to qualify for equipment and support from your local council, you must be disabled and need to make changes to your home. Your council may send an assessor or occupational therapist to assess what changes are needed for your home. 

It is possible to get the full cost of a stairlift covered through financial aid, meaning that you can essentially get a stairlift for free.

However, the process of applying for financial aid for a stairlift is not as simple as getting a stairlift fitted for free through a local council or through a charity. There are UK stairlifts grants available that can cover the full or partial cost of a stairlift. This does mean that you essentially are able to get a stairlift for free, but it involves a thorough process of applications through local authorities and health and social workers.

For farming families, the RABI can purchase stairlifts for those in need; please see the section above on how to contact them.

For more information about how to get a stair lift for free, please contact your local council.

Are there free stairlifts for pensioners?

No, pensioners do not get a free stair lift through the government. However, there are financing options, stair lift grants, and support available to help you.

Can I get a stair lift on the NHS?

The NHS cannot give you a stairlift or give you a grant for a stair lift directly, however, they will be able to help you. The NHS will work with your local council via a home assessment, sending an occupational therapist to assess your needs.

The home assessment is free and, depending on your situation, can recommend changes such as fitting a stairlift or other mobility equipment. Adaptions that cost less than £1000 will be paid for by the council but if bigger adaptions are needed, they can point you in the direction of grants for stair lifts. You can find more NHS information here.

If you are hoping to have a stairlift funded by the local council or social services, this section will explain everything you need to do to get started.

It is possible to get a stairlift from social services, as you can be referred to several organisations that can offer financial help through a health or social care professional or through an Occupational Therapist.

Disabled Facilities Grant

As explained in detail above, your local council may advise you to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.

Margaret’s Fund

Margaret’s Fund is a registered charity that helps women living with ill health in the UK. Whilst not open to men, this not-for-profit organisation provides small grants to help women with the cost of a stairlift or other disability equipment in their homes.

This grant can only be applied for through social services, such as a care professional or Occupational Therapist.

Independence At Home

This charity can offer grants of up to £2,000 for your stairlift through social services. Unlike the DFG stairlift grant, you can’t apply for this yourself; it must be through a health or social care worker, nurse, or through another form of social services.

To get a stairlift through social services, you/your social worker will need to do the following:

• Write a headed letter to the charity describing what the funds will be used for
• Complete an application form which can be downloaded from the Independence at Home website
• Supply a medical diagnosis of your disability or condition and a statement of requirements for your stairlift
• You will need to supply social services with a quote from your stairlift company. Age Co Mobility can provide this when you book a home visit.

Key takeaways

• Grants and funding are available through government sources and charities.
• Disabled Facilities Grant offers financial aid in the UK, with means-tested amounts up to £30,000.
• Specialized charities like SSAFA and RABI provide grants for specific groups like armed forces veterans and farming families.
• Budgeting, fundraising, and local grants are alternative options for financing.
• VAT relief and reduced VAT rates may apply for eligible individuals.
• Free stairlift options exist, typically through local councils or specific charity programs.