Published 18 July 2026 · Last updated 28 August 2026
Funding for children’s mobility equipment is more generous than most families expect, but it is scattered across one council grant and a handful of charities, each with its own rules. This guide lists who funds what, in the order most families should try them.
The Disabled Facilities Grant: not means tested for children
For adaptations to your home, ramps, stairlifts, wet rooms, widened doorways, ceiling track hoists, the Disabled Facilities Grant covers up to £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland. For a disabled child under 19 the grant is not means tested in England: the council assesses the child’s needs through an occupational therapist, not the family’s income. Apply through your local council. Our full DFG guide covers the process.
Charities that fund children’s equipment
Whizz Kidz
The UK’s largest children’s wheelchair charity supports young wheelchair users up to age 25, providing manual and powered wheelchairs and training. Equipment applications must be submitted before the child’s 18th birthday, and availability varies by region. Apply through the equipment application form on the Whizz Kidz site.
Newlife
Newlife provides grants and loans for essential equipment for children 18 and under: beds, buggies, wheelchairs and seating systems. It also runs an emergency equipment loan service. Call the Newlife nurse helpline on 0800 902 0095 before starting an application; they advise on eligibility first.
Variety
Variety funds specialist equipment for children 18 and under, including hoists, orthopaedic beds and seating, standers, walkers and gait trainers, sensory and communication equipment, plus a separate wheelchair programme. Applications need a letter of support from a healthcare professional and a supplier quote.
Family Fund
Family Fund gives grants to lower-income families raising a seriously ill or disabled child, and equipment is among the things it funds. It is the broadest of the funds listed here and can sit alongside a specific equipment grant from another charity.
Caudwell Children
Caudwell Children funds mobility equipment for children and young people, including powered wheelchairs and trikes, typically asking families for a contribution towards the total.
How to combine them
These funders can be stacked. A typical pattern: the NHS wheelchair service contributes through a Personal Wheelchair Budget, a charity grant covers most of the difference, and VAT relief removes 20% from the supplier’s price because the equipment is for a disabled child. Ask every supplier to quote with and without VAT, and get the professional letter written once, then reuse it across applications. Start with our parent’s guide to children’s mobility aids if you are earlier in the process.
Frequently asked questions
Are Disabled Facilities Grants means tested for children?
No. Where the application is for a disabled child under 18, the grant is not means tested on the parents’ income. This is a significant difference from adult applications and it is frequently missed.
What can a grant pay for?
Adaptations that make the home suitable, which can include ramps, level access showers, stairlifts, through floor lifts, door widening and adapting a downstairs room. It funds the adaptation rather than equipment you could take with you.
How do we apply?
Through your local council’s housing or home improvement service, usually starting with an occupational therapy assessment that establishes what is needed. Do not order work before approval, because retrospective applications are generally refused.
What charities help with equipment costs?
Several UK charities fund equipment for disabled children, including Newlife, Cerebra, Family Fund and condition specific trusts. Many require a professional supporting the application, so involve the child’s therapist early.
Can we get help with a vehicle?
Motability offers a lease scheme for families receiving the higher rate mobility component of the relevant benefit, and it can include adaptations. There are also charitable grants for vehicles, though these are heavily oversubscribed.
What if the application is refused?
Ask for the decision and reasons in writing, and use the council’s complaints procedure if you think the assessment was wrong. Councils have duties here rather than discretion, and refusals are sometimes about how the need was recorded rather than about the need itself.
Published 18 July 2026 · Last updated 28 August 2026