Mobility Aids Grant Scheme

The Mobility Aids Grant Scheme helps you pay for basic work to address mobility issues you are having at home. For example, if you are having difficulty getting into the bath or shower, the grant could cover the cost of installing an accessible shower.

The scheme is for older people and people with disabilities.

Recent changes to the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme

On 1 December 2024, the rules for the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme changed. These changes included:

• Increasing the maximum grant from €6,000 to €8,000
• Increasing the income limit to qualify for the grant from €30,000 to €37,500
• Changing how your household income is calculated for qualification for the grant

You can get an updated application form for the grant from your local authority.

You can find more information about these changes in the Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People) Regulations 2024.

If you applied for the grant before the 1 December 2024, the old rules will apply to your application.

The grant can be used to make basic changes to your home so it is more accessible, like adding:

• Grab rails
• An accessible shower
• Ramps
• A stair-lift
• A fixed track hoist. (This is a ceiling or wall-mounted track with a sling attached to it, which means you can be mechanically lifted and moved to different places along the track).

The grant may cover any other minor work that your local authority thinks is necessary to meet your mobility needs.

The grant does not cover VAT on the work. However, you can apply to Revenue for a VAT refund for the appliances that you need.

Since, 1 December 2024, the maximum grant you can get is €8,000.

The grant may cover 100% of the cost of the works.

The Mobility Aids Grant Scheme is available to people with a household income of less than €37,500 a year. There are some disregards and deductions that can reduce the amount of household income that your local authority takes into account, see below.

How is my income assessed?

Your total household income from the previous tax year is assessed to find out if you qualify and at what level of assistance. Household income includes:

• Your annual gross income
• Your spouse or partners annual gross income

Since, 1 December 2024, the following social welfare payments and other income is not taken into account when calculating your household income.

Social welfare payments not considered:

• Child Benefit
• Working Family Payment
• Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Carer’s Support Grant
• Carer's Benefit and Carer's Allowance (if the carer's payment is made for the person who needs the grant)
• Foster Care Allowance
• Fuel Allowance
• Household Benefits Package
• Living Alone Allowance

Other income not considered:

• €6,250 for each member of the household who is under 18 (previously €5,000)
• €6,250 for each member of the household who is aged between 18 and 23 years old and is in full-time education (previously €5,000)
• €6,250 if the person getting the grant is being cared by a relative on a full-time basis (previously €5,000)
• €6,250 for housing costs, such as mortgage payments or rent for the home where the work is being done
• Up to €12,500 for residential care fees, if the owner is contributing to these fees for their spouse or the co-owner of the property
• Up to €12,500 for homecare fees, if the owner is contributing to these fees for their own care, or the care of someone else in the household. (This income disregard is reduced to €6,250, if the person is getting the €6,250 disregard for being cared for by a relative on a full-time basis).

Does my home qualify for the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme?

Your home qualifies if it is:

• Privately owned (you or your family own it)
• Rented from a landlord and you have the landlord’s permission to make the changes. (The tenancy must also be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board).
• Provided by an approved housing body (AHB). You must have the AHB’s permission to make the changes.
• A communal residence (accommodation where people live together in group homes)

You must live in the property as your primary home when the work is completed.

Your tax affairs and Local Property Tax must also be up-to-date to qualify for the grant.

Do I qualify if I am a social housing tenant? 

If you live in social housing, you do not qualify for the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme. However, there is a similar scheme available for social housing tenants, called the Disabled Person’s Grant Scheme.

This grant provides funding to adapt existing social housing so an older person or someone with a disability can continue to live there. Contact your local authority for more information about this scheme.

Download an application form or contact your local authority and ask for one to be posted to you. Make sure you get an updated application from your local authority that includes the changes to the scheme that apply from 1 December 2024.

The form has a section that must be completed and signed by a doctor.

You may also need professional advice when filling in the section about the work you want to get done and how much you think it will cost.

Send the completed form to your local authority along with the required additional documents:

• Proof of your household income for the previous tax year
• Proof that the Local Property Tax (LPT) on the home has been paid, or you are exempt or have deferred it
• An occupational therapist's (OT) report if you are getting a stairlift or fixed track hoist with the grant

The local authority can arrange for the OT assessment, or you can employ an OT yourself and get up to €300 of the cost from the local authority as part of the grant. You can search for an OT on the website of the Association of Occupational Therapists Ireland.

Theapplication form gives details of the documents you will need.

When your local authority gets your application they will:

• Check your application and see if you qualify for the grant
• Send a technician to visit your home to make sure that it is possible to do the work and that the adaptations are suitable for your needs
• Contact you to let you know if your application has been approved
• Ask you to send them a quote for the work, your contractor’s tax reference number and your bank account details

How are applications prioritised?

Your application is prioritised according to how urgent your medical needs are.

The local authority prioritises people who:

• Are terminally ill or are dependent on family or a carer
• Would be able to return home from hospital or residential care if they had the adaptations to their home

Starting work to adapt my home

You should start the work within 6 months of your grant approval. If this does not happen, the local authority may allow an extension.

What if my application is unsuccessful?

If your application for the grant is unsuccessful or if you are unhappy with the local authority’s decision, you can appeal the decision.

You must appeal to the local authority in writing within 3 weeks of the decision, explaining why you are appealing. Someone in the local authority who was not involved in the original assessment will assess your appeal and contact you with a result. This could take up to 6 weeks.

If your application is unsuccessful or if you need different adaptations to your home you may qualify for other grants, see below.

If you need to adapt your home more extensively, or if you do not qualify under the means test, you can apply for the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability instead.

If you are an older person and you need essential repairs to your home, the Housing Aid for Older Persons Scheme may be more suitable for you.

VAT refunds are available on the cost of aids and appliances used by people with disabilities.

If you are a tenant living in social housing, you may qualify for the Disabled Person’s Grant Scheme. Contact the housing department of your local authority for more information.

If you have questions about the Mobility Aid Grant Scheme or want to find out exactly what is covered under the scheme in your area, contact your local authority.