Stairlift VAT & Grants

Grants:

Before buying a stairlift do check first to see if you are eligible to receive a facilities grant to fund the installation of a stairlift.

The Disabled Facilities Grant is a local council grant which helps towards the cost of adapting your home (including the installation of a stairlift) to enable you to continue to live at your property.

A grant is only paid when the council considers that changes are necessary to meet your needs, and that the work is reasonable and practical.

Visit the Direct.Gov website to find out more information about eligibility and the types of adaptations available to you. Alternatively, contact your Local Authority.

(Please note that applying for a grant can be a lengthy process, so if you do require a stairlift immediately then it may not be the option for you)

VAT exempt:

If your not eligible for a grant or require a stairlift quick then the good news is that most people are eligible for zero-rated VAT when purchasing a stairlift.

Products designed or adapted for a disability qualify, for example:

• Adjustable beds
• Stairlifts
• Wheelchairs
• Medical appliances to help with severe injuries
• Alarms
• Braille paper or low vision aids - but not spectacles or contact lenses
• Motor vehicles - or the leasing of a motability vehicle
• Building work like ramps, widening doors, installing a lift or toilet

To get the product VAT free then your disability has to qualify. For VAT purposes, you’re disabled or have a long-term illness if:

• You have a physical or mental impairment that affects your ability to carry out  everyday activities, for example blindness
• You have a medical condition that’s treated as chronic sickness, like diabetes, see full list below...
  
• You’re terminally ill

Medical conditions acceptable for VAT exemption

There are too many medical conditions to list, but here are some of the most common ones that are accepted:

✔ Alzheimers
✔ Amputee
✔ Angina
✔ Ankylosing Spondylitus
✔ Arthritis
✔ Ataxia
✔ Bronchiectasis
✔ Cancer
✔ Cerebellum Ataxia
✔ Cerebral Palsy
✔ Cerebral Vasculitis
✔ Chronic Arthritis
✔ COPD
✔ Degenerative Spine
✔ Dementia
✔ Diabetes
✔ Diverticulitis
✔ Emphysema
✔ Epilepsy
✔ Fibromyalgia
✔ Functional Movement Disorder
✔ Knee/Hip replacement
✔ Lymphedema
✔ Motor Neuron Disease
✔ Multiple Sclerosis
✔ Muscular Dystrophy
✔ Myelitis
✔ Oedema
✔ Osteoarthritis
✔ Osteoporosis
✔ Parkinson's
✔ Partially Sighted
✔ Peripheral Vascular Disease
✔ Pneumonia
✔ Polymyositis
✔ Pulmonary Fibrosis
✔ Pulmonary Hypertension
✔ Respiratory Failure
✔ Rheumatism
✔ Rheumatoid Arthritis
✔ Scoliosis
✔ Spina Bifida
✔ Spondylitis
✔ Stenosis
✔ Stroke

For information, click here: Vat-relief