Mobility Aids Grants and Free Aids in Ireland

Mobility aids grants in Ireland: free aids through the HSE, council grants up to €40,000, VAT refunds and tax relief, with who qualifies and how to apply.

Free Mobility Aids From the HSE

The HSE supplies medical and surgical aids and appliances free of charge to people who hold a medical card, a Long Term Illness card or a Health Amendment Act card. The items include wheelchairs, walking aids, shower, bath and toilet aids, hoists and other aids to daily living.

You need an assessment first. An occupational therapist (OT) usually assesses for aids to daily living, such as shower chairs, toilet frames and bed rails. A physiotherapist often assesses for walking aids such as frames and rollators. To get a referral, talk to your GP, your public health nurse or the hospital team if you are being discharged.

A few things to expect:

• Waiting times vary by area. Waiting lists for assessment and equipment differ around the country.
• Without a medical card, a primary care OT can still assess you and advise on what to buy, but can usually only supply equipment to card holders.
• Equipment may be on loan. HSE equipment is often supplied on loan and returned when it is no longer needed.

If you decide to buy privately, our guides to walking aids, rollators, shower seats, raised toilet seats and bed rails compare the options and prices.

Council Grants for Adapting Your Home

Local councils run three grants for changes to the home. They pay for work on the house, such as grab rails, a level-access shower or a stairlift, rather than for portable aids you buy online. The current rates have applied since 1 December 2024.

In short:

• Mobility Aids Grant: up to €8,000, covering up to 100% of the cost, for household incomes under €37,500. Typical work: grab rails, ramps, a level-access shower or a stairlift.
• Housing Aid for Older People: up to €10,700, covering between 100% and 30% of the cost, for household incomes up to €75,000. Typical work: essential repairs and improvements.
• Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability: up to €40,000 (€20,000 for a home under 12 months old), covering between 100% and 30% of the cost, for household incomes up to €75,000. Typical work: bigger changes such as a ground-floor bathroom or an extension.

Some rules apply to all three:

• Get approval before work starts. The council must approve your application before any work begins on the home.
• Income is the previous tax year's household income, after certain disregards and deductions.
• VAT is not covered by the Mobility Aids Grant or the Housing Adaptation Grant, but you can reclaim it from Revenue once the work is paid for.
• Council tenants cannot use these grants. Councils adapt their own homes under a separate scheme, the Disabled Persons Grant, so contact the housing maintenance section instead.

Mobility Aids Grant

The Mobility Aids Grant pays for a basic set of works to deal with mobility problems in the home, mainly linked to ageing, though people with a disability can apply too. It covers work such as grab rails, access ramps, a level-access shower, a stairlift or a fixed-track hoist. The grant is up to €8,000, which can cover 100% of the cost, for households with a gross income of less than €37,500 a year. Councils are asked to decide on applications within six weeks of receiving a complete form.

For a threshold or folding ramp you can put in place yourself, without building work, see our guide to wheelchair ramps.

Housing Aid for Older People Grant

This grant helps older people, generally aged 66 and over, to carry out essential repairs or improvements so they can stay in their own home. The maximum is €10,700. The share of the cost covered falls as household income rises:

• Up to €37,500: 100% of the cost, up to €10,700
• €37,501 to €43,750: 85%, up to €9,095
• €43,751 to €50,000: 75%, up to €8,025
• €50,001 to €62,500: 50%, up to €5,350
• €62,501 to €75,000: 30%, up to €3,210

Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability

This is the largest grant, for people with a physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability who need bigger changes to their home. It can cover work such as a ramp, an accessible bathroom, a stairlift or an extension. The maximum is €40,000 for a home more than 12 months old, or €20,000 for a newer home.

The grant covers 100% of the cost for households with an income up to €37,500, then tapers to 85% (up to €34,000) for incomes of €37,501 to €43,750, and down to 30% for incomes of €62,501 to €75,000. There is no grant above €75,000. You need an occupational therapist's assessment report with the application, and a report from a private OT is accepted.

VAT Refunds on Aids and Appliances

Revenue refunds the VAT paid on aids and appliances that are specially made or adapted for a person with a disability. A family member can claim on the person's behalf if the item is for that person's sole use, but rented items and services do not qualify. Claims are made online through Revenue's myAccount on form VAT 61A, so keep the invoice.

Some aids carry no VAT to begin with. Wheelchairs, mobility scooters and rollators are zero-rated in Ireland, so their price should already be VAT-free. Replacement mobility scooter batteries are an exception and carry VAT at the standard rate.

See Revenue's guidance on reclaiming VAT on aids and appliances.

Tax Relief on Health Expenses

You can claim income tax relief at 20% on qualifying health expenses, including medical and nursing appliances bought on the advice of a doctor or consultant. You can claim for yourself or for someone else whose costs you paid, as long as the cost was not refunded by health insurance or the HSE.

The old Med 1 form is no longer used. Claim through your Income Tax Return in myAccount, or in real time during the year if you pay tax through PAYE. You can claim for the last four years, and you need to keep receipts for six years, though you do not send them in.

Free Personal Alarm: the Seniors Alert Scheme

The Seniors Alert Scheme gives a free monitored personal alarm, worn as a pendant or on the wrist, to people aged 65 and over of limited means. You generally need to live alone, or with someone else who also qualifies. The equipment, installation and the first year of monitoring are free. After that you pay a small annual monitoring fee.

You apply through a registered local community or voluntary group, not directly. Pobal publishes the list of registered groups at pobal.ie.

Health Insurance

Many health insurance plans refund part of the cost of medical aids and appliances, including wheelchairs. Check your policy's benefits table, or call your insurer, before you buy.

How to Get Help: Step by Step

1. Talk to your GP or public health nurse. Explain what you are struggling with at home and ask for an occupational therapist or physiotherapist referral.
2. Check whether you have, or could get, a medical card. It decides whether the HSE can supply aids free of charge.
3. For work on the house, apply to your council first. Include the OT report and contractor quotes, and wait for approval before any work starts.
4. If you buy privately, keep every receipt. You may be able to reclaim VAT, claim tax relief or get a refund from your health insurer.

For aids that make getting in and out of a car easier, see our car mobility aids guide.

Mobility Aid Guides

• Bed rails for the elderly
• Walking aids and zimmer frames
• Rollators
• Raised toilet seats
• Shower seats
• Bath lifts
• Mobility scooters
• Knee scooters
• Car mobility aids
• Reaching aids
• Wheelchairs
• Transfer boards
• Wheelchair ramps
• Orthopaedic cushions
• Dressing aids
• Overbed tables
• Walking sticks
• Hand rails and grab rails
• Bed aids and bed levers