Stairlift Funding: Charities and Help Beyond the Disabled Facilities Grant

Published 2 July 2026

The Disabled Facilities Grant gets most of the attention when stairlift funding comes up, with good reason, it is the largest pot of money for home adaptations. But it is not the only route, and for some households it is not the best one. The means test rules some people out, and the process can take months. This guide covers the alternatives, from national charities to veterans’ funds, VAT relief and council schemes.

Start with an OT assessment

Before approaching any funder, ask your local council’s adult social care team for a care needs assessment. It is free, and an occupational therapist will look at how you manage at home and recommend equipment or adaptations. In some areas minor works are provided at no charge, and everywhere an OT recommendation strengthens every application that follows.

There is a second reason to start here. Most of the charities below only accept applications made through a professional, such as an OT, social worker or nurse, and getting assessed puts that person in place. If council waiting lists are long, a private OT assessment is an alternative.

The Disabled Facilities Grant in brief

The DFG is a means-tested council grant for home adaptations, worth up to £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland, with a separate scheme in Scotland. Stairlifts are a standard use for it. Applications go through your local council and must be approved before any work starts. We cover eligibility and the process in our guide to the Disabled Facilities Grant. The rest of this page covers everything else.

National charities that help fund stairlifts

These charities consider applications from across the UK. All of them expect statutory routes such as the DFG to have been explored first, and most require a professional to apply on your behalf.

Independence at Home

Independence at Home makes grants towards specialist equipment and home adaptations for people of any age with a long-term illness or disability who are in financial need. It awarded around 1,320 individual grants in 2024/25. Applications must come from a health or social care professional acting as your referrer, such as an OT, physiotherapist or social worker.

Margaret’s Fund

Margaret’s Fund helps women in poor health who are also in financial need, with grants usually between £200 and £1,500 for items including medical and health aids. Applications are made by a supporting professional, and payment goes to the supplier or organisation rather than to the individual.

Acts 435

Acts 435 is an online giving platform that connects donors with specific needs posted by local churches and partner charities, typically up to around £200 per request. That will not fund a whole stairlift, but it can cover a repair, a service or a shortfall once other funding is in place. You apply through a participating local church or charity.

Turn2us

Turn2us is not a single fund but a national charity with a free grants search covering hundreds of benevolent funds, many tied to a former job or industry. If you or your partner worked in a particular trade, there may be an occupational fund that helps with equipment. The search only takes a few minutes.

Condition-specific and veterans’ charities

SSAFA

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, supports anyone who has served and their families. Its caseworkers help people access funding for mobility equipment, including stairlifts, often drawing on service and regimental benevolent funds.

Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion offers grants and support for mobility aids, equipment and home adaptations for serving personnel, veterans and their dependants. Its support line can connect you with a local adviser.

Parkinson’s UK

Parkinson’s UK runs Personal Assistance Grants of up to £1,500 for people with Parkinson’s or another form of parkinsonism, and their unpaid carers. Specialist equipment is within scope. Applications open in rounds during the year, so check the current dates on its website.

MS Society and Macmillan

The MS Society closed its national grants programme, but some local groups still make Health and Wellbeing grants towards equipment and adaptations, so ask your nearest group. Macmillan grants for people living with cancer are now local rather than national, offering small one-off payments in some areas. Neither will fund a full stairlift on its own, but both can ease the wider costs.

Other ways to cut the cost

• VAT relief. Stairlifts qualify for zero-rated VAT when supplied to someone who is chronically sick or disabled, which removes 20 per cent of the bill. See our guide to stairlift VAT relief.
• Reconditioned lifts. A refurbished lift from a reputable supplier, with a warranty, costs considerably less than new. See reconditioned stairlifts.
• Rental. For a short-term need, renting avoids the purchase altogether. See stairlift rental.
• Home Improvement Agencies. Local HIAs, often trading as Care and Repair, help with funding applications and sometimes hold small local pots for urgent works. Find yours through Foundations in England, or Care and Repair in Wales and Scotland.
• Council discretionary schemes. Many councils run help alongside the DFG, including fast-track budgets for smaller adaptations such as stairlifts. Ask the council’s housing or adaptations team what exists locally.

How to apply

• Get the OT assessment first. It underpins everything else.
• Ask the council about the DFG and any discretionary schemes, since most funds expect statutory help to have been sought.
• Gather two written quotes from suppliers, plus proof of income and benefits.
• Line up a professional referrer, such as your OT, a social worker or a Citizens Advice adviser.
• Run the Turn2us grants search for occupational and condition-specific funds.
• Apply to more than one fund, partial grants can be combined.
• Ask the supplier to apply VAT relief and to hold the quote while funding is confirmed.

Frequently asked questions

Can a charity pay for a whole stairlift?

Occasionally, but partial funding is far more common. Most grants are in the hundreds of pounds rather than the thousands, so combining sources, a reconditioned lift and VAT relief often closes the gap.

Do charity grants have to be repaid?

No. Charitable grants are gifts, not loans, and there is nothing to repay. Some funds will not consider a second application for the same item, so make the first one count.

How long does charity funding take?

Usually weeks rather than the months a DFG can take. Some funds assess on a rolling basis, while others, such as Parkinson’s UK, work in fixed rounds, so check deadlines.

What if my application is refused?

Ask why, then try elsewhere. A refusal from one fund says nothing about your chances with another, and your referrer or local Home Improvement Agency can suggest alternatives. Rental or a reconditioned lift can bridge the gap while you keep looking.

The bottom line

There is more help available than most people realise, but none of it arrives on its own. Start with the free OT assessment, ask the council about the DFG and local schemes, then work through the charities that fit your circumstances. Costs vary widely between staircases and suppliers, so get quotes early and make sure VAT relief is applied. For everything else about choosing a lift, see our stairlift guides.

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants
• Foundations: find your local Home Improvement Agency
• Turn2us grants search

Published 2 July 2026