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Disabled Facilities Grant for home lifts

A home lift is often funded in part or in full through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), a council grant that helps disabled people adapt their homes. This guide explains what the grant covers, who qualifies, and how to apply — alongside the VAT relief that frequently applies to mobility lifts.

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What the Disabled Facilities Grant covers

The DFG is a mandatory grant from your local council in England for adaptations that help a disabled person live independently at home — including home lifts, through-floor lifts and wheelchair platform lifts. The maximum grant in England is currently £30,000 (different limits apply in Wales and Northern Ireland).

Who qualifies

Eligibility turns on two things:

  • The work must be necessary and appropriate to meet the needs of a disabled occupant — usually confirmed by an occupational therapist assessment.
  • It must be reasonable and practicable for the property, which the council surveys.
  • For an adult, the grant is means-tested on the income and savings of the disabled person and their partner; grants for a disabled child are not means-tested.

How to apply

Start by contacting your local council's home-improvement or housing team, or ask for an occupational therapy assessment through adult social care. The council arranges the assessment, agrees the works and the figure, and pays the grant on completion. We are happy to provide the written, specified quotation councils require.

VAT relief

Separately from the grant, mobility lifts installed for a disabled person in their own home are usually zero-rated for VAT under the eligibility-declaration rules. We will confirm whether your installation qualifies.

Get a free, no-obligation quotation

Every property is different, so the surest way to a firm figure is a free survey. Our own SafeContractor-accredited engineers assess your home or premises and provide a written, no-obligation quotation. Get in touch to arrange a visit, or see the areas we cover across the UK.