Disabled Facilities Grant for Stairlifts: Who Qualifies and How to Apply
You may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) for a stairlift if you or someone living in your home is disabled and needs adaptations to make the property safer or more accessible. Your local council must consider the stairlift necessary and appropriate for the disabled person’s needs and reasonable and practicable for the property.
For adults, the amount of funding available may depend on household income and savings. Different financial assessment rules apply when the grant is for a disabled child. To apply, contact your local council and request an assessment for home adaptations. You may have an occupational therapy or home assessment before completing your DFG application. Do not install a stairlift before your grant has been approved, as this could affect whether you receive funding.
How much is a Disabled Facilities Grant?
In England, a Disabled Facilities Grant can provide up to £30,000 towards eligible home adaptations, including a stairlift. (Correct at time of writing: August 2026.) Receiving the maximum amount is not automatic. The amount awarded depends on the cost of the approved adaptation and, where applicable, a financial assessment. Some councils may also provide additional funding above the standard DFG limit. A DFG does not affect your benefits.
Is a DFG means tested?
Yes. Disabled Facilities Grants are normally means tested for adults. The financial assessment determines whether you need to contribute towards the cost of your stairlift or other home adaptation. In England, the means test considers household income and savings. The first £6,000 of household savings is disregarded.
There are important exceptions:
- Applications for a disabled child under 18 are not subject to the usual parental means test.
- People receiving certain means-tested benefits may be ‘passported’ through the financial assessment without having to make a contribution.
Having income or savings does not automatically prevent you from receiving a DFG. Your local council can assess your individual circumstances.
How long does a DFG take?
There is no fixed waiting time for getting a stairlift through a Disabled Facilities Grant. Timescales vary between councils and depend on assessment waiting times, your circumstances and the complexity of the proposed adaptation. You may first need a home or occupational therapy assessment. You can then complete the DFG application and any required financial assessment. Once your council receives a valid DFG application, it must normally make a decision within six months.
If approved, the work should generally be completed within 12 months of the approval date, although the stairlift installation itself may be completed much sooner. If you need a stairlift urgently, contact your council as early as possible and ask about current waiting times. You can also compare private stairlift options, but do not begin installation before DFG approval if you intend to use grant funding.
How do I get a DFG for a stairlift?
Getting a Disabled Facilities Grant for a stairlift will generally involve these steps:
- Contact your local council. Ask the adult social care, social services, housing adaptations or occupational therapy team about an assessment for home adaptations.
- Explain how the stairs affect you. Describe difficulties reaching essential rooms, risks of falling or whether you need assistance to use the stairs.
- Have a home or occupational therapy assessment. An occupational therapist or other assessor may visit your home to identify suitable adaptations. A stairlift may be recommended if appropriate.
- Receive an adaptation recommendation. The council must be satisfied that the proposed stairlift is necessary and appropriate for your needs and reasonable and practicable for your property.
- Complete the financial assessment. If a means test applies, you may need to provide details of household income and savings.
- Submit your DFG application. Your council will explain what documents and information are required.
- Wait for the council’s decision. The council must normally decide a valid application within six months and will confirm how much funding has been approved and whether you need to contribute.
- Arrange the approved stairlift installation. Installation should only proceed in accordance with your council’s requirements.
Do not arrange for installation to begin before the grant has been approved unless you have discussed this with your council and understand how it could affect your application.
How do I know if I am entitled to a DFG for a stairlift?
You may be entitled to a Disabled Facilities Grant for a stairlift if your disability or mobility needs make using your stairs difficult or unsafe and your council considers a stairlift an appropriate adaptation. There is no automatic entitlement. Your council will consider your needs, your property, the proposed adaptation and, where applicable, your financial circumstances.
DFG stairlift eligibility checklist
You may qualify if:
- You or someone living in your home is disabled. DFGs can support people with a wide range of disabilities and mobility needs.
- Using the stairs is difficult or unsafe. For example, you may struggle to reach an upstairs bedroom, bathroom or other essential area of your home.
- A stairlift is necessary and appropriate. Your council must consider the adaptation necessary for your needs rather than simply desirable.
- A stairlift is suitable for your property. The proposed work must be considered reasonable and practicable for the home.
- You meet the occupancy requirements. The disabled person will normally need to intend to live in the property during the grant period, usually five years, although exceptions can apply.
- The application is made by an eligible person. An owner, tenant or landlord can generally apply. The applicant does not necessarily have to be the disabled person benefiting from the adaptation.
- You complete a financial assessment where required. Adult applicants will normally be means tested to determine how much financial assistance is available.
- You have not already started the work. Installing a stairlift before DFG approval could mean you do not receive the grant.
If these criteria are relevant to your circumstances, contact your local council and request an assessment. Your council will make the final decision about whether you and the proposed stairlift qualify. Qualifying for a DFG does not necessarily mean your stairlift will be fully funded. Depending on the financial assessment, you may need to contribute towards the cost – keep in mind that most stairlift users are eligible for VAT relief.
At Kudos Stairlifts, we can help you understand which stairlift options are suitable for your staircase, whether you are exploring Disabled Facilities Grant funding or considering purchasing a stairlift privately. If you intend to use a DFG, always speak to your local council and obtain the necessary approval before your stairlift is installed. We proudly work with several local authorities, including London Borough of Ealing, Guildford Borough Council, Elmbridge Borough Council, Brent Council, Bexley Council, Woking Borough Council, Surrey County Council and Spelthorne Borough Council.
A Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is funding provided through your local council to help pay for essential home adaptations for a disabled person. This can include installing a stairlift to make the home safer and more accessible. The council must consider the proposed adaptation necessary, appropriate and reasonable for the property.
Yes. A Disabled Facilities Grant can help towards the cost of a stairlift if you or someone living in your home is disabled and the stairlift is considered necessary and appropriate. Funding arrangements and maximum amounts vary across the UK, and adult applicants may need to complete a financial assessment.
There is no fixed waiting time for a DFG stairlift, as timescales vary between councils and individual circumstances. You may need a home assessment before applying. Once your council receives a valid DFG application, it must normally make a decision within six months, although an approved stairlift installation may be arranged sooner.
You may qualify if you or someone in your home is disabled and has difficulty safely accessing essential areas using the stairs. The council must consider a stairlift necessary and appropriate for your needs and suitable for your property. Adults will also normally undergo a means-test assessing household income and savings.
Start by contacting your local council and requesting an assessment for home adaptations. An occupational therapist or other assessor may assess your needs and recommend a stairlift. You will then complete the DFG application and, where required, a financial assessment. Do not begin the stairlift installation before receiving the council’s approval.
For entry-level stairlift models, £2,825 is the base price for a straight stairlift and £4,995 is the base price for a curved stairlift. The average price in the UK for straight stairlift is around £3,000, or around £5,500 for a curved stairlift – can this can vary with different features and requirements. (Correct at time of writing: August 2026.)
Contact our Client Focus Team today to discuss how a stairlift can improve and protect the quality of life for you and your family.
Choose from a range of industry-leading curved or straight stairlifts, suitable for almost any staircase and expertly installed by our own engineers.
Call us now on 0800 1522400 to arrange your free, no obligation survey and quote, or to ask any questions you may have.
