Quick answer: Most help with mobility costs comes from five places: the NHS (wheelchairs and walking aids), your council (equipment, minor adaptations and Disabled Facilities Grants), disability benefits and the Motability Scheme, VAT relief, and charities. Which one applies depends on what you need, where in the UK you live and, for some schemes, your income. Find your need in the table below, then follow the link.
Last checked: 7 November 2026. What we checked: NHS walking aids, wheelchairs and mobility scooters guide; GOV.UK pages on Disabled Facilities Grants, PIP, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, VAT relief and Council Tax discounts; nidirect; mygov.scot; Motability Scheme allowances page; Citizens Advice Scotland; the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014.
Who this is for: Anyone trying to work out who pays for a piece of equipment or a change to their home.
Find your route
| Need | Route | Who decides | Cost to you | Official page | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelchair (manual or powered) | NHS wheelchair service, after referral or self-referral where allowed | Local wheelchair service | Free loan if eligible; a personal wheelchair budget can put the value towards a different chair (England) | NHS | Getting a wheelchair from the NHS, wheelchair grants |
| Walking stick or frame | Borrow from the NHS, or from the council after a needs assessment | NHS physio or council | Usually free | NHS | Free equipment from the council or NHS |
| Daily living equipment and minor adaptations (grab rails, rails, bath boards) | Council community equipment | Council adult social care | In England, free for eligible needs if the adaptation costs £1,000 or less | Regulation 3 | Free equipment from the council |
| Major adaptations (level-access shower, ramp, stairlift, extension) in England, Wales, NI | Disabled Facilities Grant | Council, or Northern Ireland Housing Executive | Means tested for adults; up to £30,000 England, £36,000 Wales, £35,000 NI (up to £70,000 in some cases) | GOV.UK, nidirect | DFG guide, bathroom grants |
| Major adaptations in Scotland | Scheme of Assistance | Council | Grant of at least 80% of eligible cost; 100% on certain benefits | Citizens Advice Scotland | Scotland, Wales and NI adaptation grants |
| Weekly money for disability costs (under State Pension age) | PIP (Adult Disability Payment in Scotland) | DWP; Social Security Scotland | Not means tested. 2026/27 mobility part: standard rate £30.30 or enhanced rate £80.00 a week (GOV.UK now labels these the “lower” and “higher” rates) | GOV.UK, mygov.scot | Mobility allowance explained |
| Weekly money if over State Pension age | Attendance Allowance (Pension Age Disability Payment in Scotland) | DWP; Social Security Scotland | Not means tested. £76.70 or £114.60 a week | GOV.UK | Attendance Allowance guide |
| Lease a car, scooter or powered wheelchair | Motability Scheme | Motability, using your qualifying allowance | Your qualifying mobility allowance | Motability | Motability Scheme guide, Motability scooters |
| Buying equipment or adaptations yourself | VAT relief for disabled people | The supplier, on your signed declaration | 0% VAT on qualifying goods and work | GOV.UK | VAT exemption guide, VAT on bathroom work |
| Lower Council Tax because of disability-related space | Disabled Band Reduction Scheme | Your council | Bill reduced by one band; 17% off in Band A (England) | GOV.UK | Council Tax Disabled Band Reduction |
| Caring 35 hours a week or more | Carer’s Allowance | DWP | £86.45 a week, subject to conditions | GOV.UK | Carer’s Allowance guide |
| Gaps none of the above covers | Charity grants | The charity | Depends on the charity | Turn2us Grants Search | Funding Finder |
Not sure where to start? Our Funding Finder asks five questions and shows the schemes that may apply where you live, each linked to the official page.
Three rules that save people money
Get assessed before you buy. The NHS wheelchair service and the council both decide based on an assessment. If you buy first, you usually cannot claim the cost back. For major adaptations, GOV.UK warns that starting work before approval may mean no grant.
Mobility scooters are different. The NHS says mobility scooters are not generally available on the NHS. Help with a scooter comes from the Motability Scheme, charities or VAT relief instead. See will the NHS pay for a mobility scooter? and our mobility scooter grants guide.
Attendance Allowance does not open the Motability Scheme. Motability lists the qualifying allowances, including the enhanced rate of the PIP mobility part and the enhanced rate of the ADP mobility part, each with at least 12 months left. Attendance Allowance is not on the list.
Where the UK nations differ
| Scheme | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home adaptation grant | DFG, up to £30,000 | DFG, up to £36,000; no means test on small and medium grants since April 2021 | Scheme of Assistance | DFG via the Housing Executive, up to £35,000 (up to £70,000 in some cases) |
| Working-age disability benefit | PIP | PIP | Adult Disability Payment | PIP, run by the Department for Communities |
| Pension-age disability benefit | Attendance Allowance | Attendance Allowance | Pension Age Disability Payment | Attendance Allowance |
Our guide to home adaptation grants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland explains the differences in detail.
Our research and tools
- VAT relief on mobility equipment: 20 UK retailers checked: what retailers tell customers, and where they get it wrong.
- The Independence Map: where Britain grows old, and what care costs by region.
- Attendance Allowance league table and PIP enhanced mobility league table: claim rates by area.
- The Cost of Staying Put: adapting your home compared with care home costs, with a break-even calculator.
- PIP and Disabled Facilities Grants: how the two interact.
All funding guides
- Disabled Facilities Grant: complete UK guide
- Bathroom adaptation and walk-in shower grants
- Home adaptation grants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Free mobility equipment from the council or NHS
- Wheelchair grants UK
- Attendance Allowance guide
- Mobility allowance UK: what it is called now
- Carer’s Allowance guide
- VAT exemption on mobility equipment
- VAT relief on bathroom adaptations
- Council Tax Disabled Band Reduction
- Funding Finder
This page is general information, not legal, tax, benefits or financial advice. Whether equipment or an adaptation suits you is for your GP, OT or council to decide after a needs assessment.
What to do next
- Find your need in the route table and open the official page.
- Ask for an NHS or council assessment before buying anything large.
- Check whether you, or the person you care for, get a disability benefit you have not claimed.
- Use the Funding Finder for schemes in your nation.
- When you are ready to buy, look the supplier up in our company directory and read other customers’ reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a single grant for mobility equipment?
No. Different schemes cover different needs. The NHS lends wheelchairs and walking aids, councils provide daily living equipment and adaptations, and benefits such as PIP or Attendance Allowance give weekly money you can spend as you choose. VAT relief cuts the price if you buy yourself.
Are these schemes means tested?
Some are. PIP, Adult Disability Payment and Attendance Allowance are not means tested. Disabled Facilities Grants are means tested for adults in England and Northern Ireland, while Wales has removed the means test for small and medium grants. Charities usually look at financial need.
Can I get help if I am over State Pension age?
Yes. Age is not a barrier to NHS equipment, council equipment or a DFG. You claim Attendance Allowance (Pension Age Disability Payment in Scotland) rather than PIP. Attendance Allowance does not qualify for the Motability Scheme.
Does a Disabled Facilities Grant affect my benefits?
No. GOV.UK says a Disabled Facilities Grant will not affect any benefits you get. The council pays it in stages or as a lump sum, either to you or straight to the contractor, as agreed when it approves the application.
Who can help me with the forms?
In England, GOV.UK says the government funds Foundations, the national body for home improvement agencies, to help people apply for DFGs. Some charities, such as Independence at Home, only accept applications made by a professional such as an OT or social worker.
Sources
- Walking aids, wheelchairs and mobility scooters – NHS, page last reviewed 8 April 2026, accessed 7 November 2026
- Disabled Facilities Grants – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026 (sub-pages: What you’ll get, Eligibility, How to claim)
- Disabled Facilities Grants – nidirect, accessed 7 November 2026
- Written Statement: Removing the means test on small and medium Disabled Facilities Grants – Welsh Government, accessed 7 November 2026
- The scheme of assistance for house repairs and adaptations – Citizens Advice Scotland, accessed 7 November 2026
- The Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, regulation 3 – legislation.gov.uk, accessed 7 November 2026
- PIP: how much you’ll get – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Benefit and pension rates 2026/2027 – Department for Work and Pensions, accessed 7 November 2026
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – nidirect, accessed 7 November 2026
- Attendance Allowance – nidirect, accessed 7 November 2026
- Adult Disability Payment – mygov.scot, accessed 7 November 2026
- Attendance Allowance: what you’ll get and eligibility – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Allowances and rates – Motability Scheme, accessed 7 November 2026
- Financial help if you’re disabled: VAT relief for disabled people – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Council Tax: discounts for disabled people – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Carer’s Allowance – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Find out about applying for grants – Turn2us, accessed 7 November 2026
- Independence at Home – Independence at Home, accessed 7 November 2026