Free Equipment from the Council and NHS: How to Get It

In short: Free equipment from the council is available in England if a needs assessment finds you need it, and items or minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less each must be provided free of charge (NHS website, as at November 2026). The NHS also loans some items, and larger work may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £30,000. Rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

How to get free equipment from the council in England

Ask your local council’s adult social services for a free care needs assessment. You can do this by phone or online, and GOV.UK has a service to find your council. Independent Age says in England the council must provide all equipment for free if the assessment finds you need it.

Asking for free equipment from the council always starts with this assessment, even if you only need one small item. The Care Act 2014 gives you a right to an assessment if it appears you may need care and support. You do not have to be eligible for council funded care to ask. Our guide to your rights under the Care Act 2014 explains this in more detail.

How eligibility works

Age UK’s factsheet (March 2026) says you are eligible for council support if you have difficulty achieving at least two listed outcomes and it has a significant impact on your wellbeing. The outcomes include managing personal hygiene, managing toilet needs and using your home safely. Eligible needs go into a care and support plan, which must include a personal budget figure. Equipment is one way a council can meet those needs.

What happens at the assessment

A council professional or occupational therapist visits your home, asks what you find difficult and looks at the layout. The NHS describes the assessment as free and usually lasting at least an hour. Bring a friend or relative who can take notes. If there is nobody, you can ask for an advocate, who is often free.

It helps to have a list of the daily tasks that worry you, such as getting off the toilet, bathing or using the stairs. Our guide to preparing for a care needs assessment has a checklist.

Help applying and carers

GOV.UK says that if you need help applying, your local NHS service, Citizens Advice or a charity can help. A carer’s needs can also be assessed (Age UK). See our guide to a carer’s assessment.

What counts as free equipment from the council

In England, equipment and minor adaptations that cost less than £1,000 each should be free if the assessment says you need them. The NHS website says this is not means-tested, so your income does not matter. Age UK’s factsheet (March 2026) says councils cannot charge for disability equipment or for minor adaptations that help with nursing at home or daily living.

Free equipment from the council can include small structural jobs as well as loose items. Examples given by the NHS include stair handrails, bathroom grab rails, intercom systems, wheelchair ramps, walking frames and perching stools. Age UK adds a short ramp or shallow steps, a longer external handrail and automatic lighting at the front door.

• Equipment a hospital gives you for going home, such as a toilet surround frame, should also be free.
• Age UK’s guide says grab rails and similar minor adaptations are provided and fitted free if your council recommends them after an assessment.
• You can ask for direct payments to buy equipment yourself instead of using the council’s preferred suppliers (Independent Age).

Items the council does not think you need, or work costing over £1,000, are not covered by this rule. For bathroom items in particular, see our guide to bathroom aids such as grab rails and raised toilet seats.

NHS equipment loan

The NHS lends some equipment for as long as you need it, usually on a request from a health professional. Age UK’s factsheet (March 2026) says local disability equipment stores are often run jointly by the NHS and the council, and a GP, district nurse or community physiotherapist can request items such as commodes and walking aids.

Some things people expect to be free equipment from the council are in fact NHS loans, so it is worth asking both. Marie Curie says the NHS can lend walking aids such as crutches, sticks and frames, and wheelchairs, and that it usually cannot lend mobility scooters. It can also lend health-related items such as commodes, bed pans and pressure-relieving mattresses. NHS wheelchairs come through the local wheelchair service after a GP referral, and Marie Curie says the wait can be several weeks.

Some items, such as a pressure-relieving mattress or a hospital bed, need a clinical assessment, so ask a district nurse or occupational therapist rather than trying to arrange them yourself. Our guide to hospital beds at home explains the clinical side.

Disabled Facilities Grant for larger work

A Disabled Facilities Grant is a means-tested grant from your council for bigger changes, up to £30,000 in England (GOV.UK, as at November 2026). It can cover works such as a stairlift or a level-access shower. The amount depends on household income and on savings above £6,000, so you may be asked to pay part of the cost.

• You or someone living in the home must be disabled, and you must intend to live there for the grant period, usually 5 years.
• You must be the owner, tenant or landlord.
• Apply through your local council. It may send an occupational therapist or trained assessor.
• Do not start work before approval, or you may get no grant. Work should be finished within 12 months of approval.
• The council must give a decision within 6 months.

A Disabled Facilities Grant will not affect any benefits you get. For stairs, see stairlifts: types, suitability and funding. A Home Improvement Agency can help with applications.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Rules for free equipment from the council differ outside England, so check with your own council or trust. Independent Age says that in Scotland and Wales you may be asked to pay a reasonable amount based on your finances. Age UK says that in Wales minor adaptations are not means-tested and should be free, but a charge may apply to disability equipment depending on your circumstances.

In Wales the Disabled Facilities Grant maximum is up to £36,000 (GOV.UK, as at November 2026). Scotland does not offer these grants, so ask your council’s social work service about its Scheme of Assistance. In Northern Ireland the health and social care trusts run community equipment schemes (Marie Curie), and a doctor or occupational therapist can refer you. The Housing Executive runs the grant there on a therapist’s recommendation.

In Scotland, Marie Curie says anyone with an illness or disability can get a free NHS wheelchair if eligible, on a healthcare professional’s referral.

What to do if you are refused or delayed

Ask for the decision and the reasons in writing, then use the council’s complaints procedure. Independent Age says to complain to your council first, and if you are still unhappy, contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

• For a Disabled Facilities Grant, the council must explain a refusal in writing (Age UK, March 2026). GOV.UK says you can appeal to your council and then complain to the Ombudsman.
• If there is no decision within 6 months, use the complaints procedure.
• For NHS items such as wheelchairs, complaints go through the NHS procedure, then the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (Age UK).
• If the delay leaves you unable to wash or move safely, say so and ask what temporary help the council will arrange.

Citizens Advice, a Home Improvement Agency or Age UK can help you write the complaint. Judicial review is a legal route that needs a solicitor and can be costly, so it is a last resort.

Buying equipment yourself while you wait

You can buy equipment yourself, but get an assessment first where you can. Independent Age recommends trying items at a Disabled Living Centre, and asking whether an item will still help if your condition worsens.

Disabled people or those with a long term illness may not pay VAT on some equipment, with a signed declaration. HMRC’s VAT Notice 701/7 (last updated 31 December 2020) says age alone does not qualify for zero rating, though people aged 60 or over can have a reduced rate on some mobility aids supplied and installed in the home. Check the supplier is VAT registered and the VAT notice covers your item.

Free equipment from the council covers what you are assessed as needing, so a purchase made before the assessment may not be refunded. Keep receipts, and ask your assessor before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

Is equipment from the council really free?

In England, yes, if a needs assessment finds you need it. Independent Age says the council must provide assessed equipment free, and minor adaptations costing less than £1,000 each are also free. Charges may apply in Scotland and Wales, so check with your council.

How do I ask for an assessment?

Contact your local council’s adult social services by phone or online, and ask for a free care needs assessment. An occupational therapist or council professional usually visits your home, and the NHS says the visit takes at least an hour.

Is free equipment means-tested?

Not in England. The NHS website says eligibility for free equipment and small adaptations under £1,000 is not means-tested, so income does not matter. A Disabled Facilities Grant, for larger work, is means-tested and depends on household income and savings above £6,000.

What can the NHS lend me?

Marie Curie says the NHS can lend walking aids, wheelchairs and some health items such as commodes, bed pans and pressure-relieving mattresses. A GP, district nurse or community physiotherapist usually requests them. The NHS usually cannot lend mobility scooters.

Does the council have to fit a grab rail for free?

In England, a grab rail costing less than £1,000 should be provided and fitted free if your assessment finds you need one. Age UK’s factsheet from March 2026 names a grab rail as a minor adaptation that councils cannot charge for.

What if the council says no?

Ask for the decision and reasons in writing. Then use the council’s complaints procedure. If you are still unhappy, you can complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Citizens Advice or a Home Improvement Agency can help you with the wording.

Do Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland follow the same rules?

No. Independent Age says you may be asked to pay a reasonable amount in Scotland and Wales. Wales funds small adaptations free of means, Scotland has no Disabled Facilities Grant, and Northern Ireland uses trusts and the Housing Executive. Check with your own authority.

Official sources

• NHS: Care and support you can get for free
• NHS: Home adaptations
• GOV.UK: Apply for a needs assessment by social services
• GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants, what you’ll get
• GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants, eligibility
• GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants, how to claim
• GOV.UK: VAT Notice 701/7, reliefs from VAT for disabled and older people
• Independent Age: Getting disability equipment
• Age UK: Disability equipment and home adaptations (factsheet 42, March 2026)
• Age UK: Adapting your home (information guide)
• Marie Curie: Getting disability equipment
• NI Direct: Disabled Facilities Grants

This page is general information, not legal, medical or financial advice. The Care Panel is an independent guide and is not part of any government body or care provider. Last checked 9 November 2026.

Related: Falls prevention at home checklist · Walking aids guide: sticks, frames and rollators · How to pay for home care

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 9 November 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.