Answer 5 quick questions to see whether you could get a Disabled Facilities Grant or other public funding towards a home lift, stairlift or other home adaptation.
What this means for you
Your next steps
This checker gives general guidance only and is not a benefits assessment or a guarantee of funding. Eligibility and the amount awarded are decided by your local authority (or Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland) following an occupational therapy and financial assessment. Figures are 2026 maximums and rules can change. © UK Home Lifts. Free, independent home lift advice.
Can you get a grant for a home lift in the UK?
Yes. If a home lift, stairlift or other adaptation is needed to help a disabled or older person live safely and independently at home, you may be able to fund some or all of it through a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or through the Scheme of Assistance in Scotland. The checker above gives you a personalised, plain-English indication in under a minute. Once you know your likely funding, use our home lift cost calculator to estimate the total price.
How much is a Disabled Facilities Grant in 2026?
The maximum Disabled Facilities Grant is £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland. Scotland does not use the DFG; instead, councils must provide a grant of at least 80% of the eligible cost of essential adaptations through their Scheme of Assistance, rising to 100% for people on certain benefits. The grant is means-tested for adults but never means-tested for a disabled child under 18 (under 19 in Northern Ireland).
Who is eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant?
You can apply if you are an owner-occupier, a private tenant, a council or housing association tenant, or a landlord with a disabled tenant, and some park home, caravan and houseboat occupiers also qualify. The grant is mandatory, meaning the council must award it if the conditions are met: the person must be disabled, and the work must be both necessary and appropriate for their needs and reasonable and practicable for the property. An occupational therapist usually assesses this.
What can a grant pay for?
- Getting safely in and out of the home, such as ramps or a wheelchair platform lift
- Moving between floors with a home lift or stairlift to reach a bedroom or bathroom
- Making a bathroom, toilet or kitchen usable and safe
- Improving heating, lighting and power controls for the disabled person
Compare the options in our guide to home lift types and home lift prices.
How do you apply?
Contact your local council’s housing or home-improvement team (or, in Northern Ireland, your Health and Social Care Trust) and ask for an occupational therapy assessment. Do not start any work before the grant is formally approved. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the council must give a decision within six months of your application.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Disabled Facilities Grant means-tested?
For adults, yes. The amount depends on the income and savings of the disabled person and their partner, with the first £6,000 of savings ignored. For a disabled child under 18 (under 19 in Northern Ireland) there is no means test at all.
Does a home lift qualify for a grant?
It can. If moving between floors is a genuine difficulty and a lift is assessed as necessary and appropriate, a home lift or stairlift can be funded through a Disabled Facilities Grant or the Scottish Scheme of Assistance.
Do I pay VAT on a home lift?
Home lifts and adaptations supplied and installed for a disabled person are usually zero-rated for VAT, so you pay 0% VAT. Ask your supplier to apply the relief.
What if the grant does not cover the full cost?
You may be able to top up with council discretionary assistance, charitable grants such as Independence at Home, help from adult social care, or interest-free supplier finance.
Know your funding? Estimate your home lift cost or request free quotes from trusted UK suppliers.