Mobility aids and wheelchairs: what the NHS provides and what to buy

The NHS wheelchair service provides wheelchairs free, on long-term loan, to people with a lasting mobility need, usually after a referral from a GP or other health professional and an assessment. Walking aids such as frames and sticks usually come from an NHS physiotherapist, and home equipment such as bath seats and rails from the council’s occupational therapy team. Mobility scooters are not provided on the NHS, but wheelchairs, many scooters and lots of other disability equipment can be bought VAT-free.

In short

• NHS wheelchair services are for long-term needs, for example a need lasting more than 6 months, or use on 4 or more days a week. Short-term and occasional use is not usually covered.
• Since 2 December 2019, eligible wheelchair users in England have had a legal right to a personal wheelchair budget, which can be used inside or outside the NHS service.
• Council-assessed aids and minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less are free in England.
• Wheelchairs, and class 2 scooters (up to 4mph) supplied to a disabled person, are zero-rated for VAT. Grab rails, ramps and stairlifts installed for someone aged 60 or over get a reduced rate.
• Class 3 scooters can go on the road at up to 8mph and must be registered with the DVLA, but pay no vehicle tax.
• The Motability Scheme needs the enhanced PIP mobility rate (£80.00 a week in 2026/27) or the higher DLA mobility rate. Attendance Allowance does not qualify.

Who provides what

Families are often passed between services because each one covers different equipment. This table shows where to start.

For home equipment, ask the council for an assessment. Our guides to free equipment and OT assessments and home adaptations explain the process.

Getting a wheelchair from the NHS

Referral and eligibility

Wheelchair services are commissioned locally, so the rules differ slightly between areas, but published NHS criteria follow a similar pattern. Your parent will usually need:

• a long-term medical condition or disability that significantly affects their mobility;
• a need expected to last more than 6 months, or a palliative need;
• to use the chair regularly, typically on 4 or more days a week, and in some areas to be unable to walk indoors.

A GP, community nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or consultant makes the referral. Self-referral is generally only for people already known to the service who need a review. The assessment covers posture, skin, home access and who will push the chair, and may happen by phone, video or in person.

What is usually not provided

Published criteria commonly exclude mobility scooters, powered chairs for outdoor use only, chairs for occasional outings or holidays, and short-term loans while someone recovers from an injury. For short-term needs, ask the hospital or local community equipment service, and note that some charities and local equipment loan schemes lend wheelchairs. Powered indoor or indoor/outdoor chairs are considered only if the person cannot walk or self-propel at home and can use the chair safely.

Care home residents

People in care homes are assessed under the same criteria. Services generally provide a chair for a resident’s own exclusive use, for example if they can self-propel or are taken out in it several days a week, but not chairs for moving residents between rooms or shared transit chairs. Those are the home’s responsibility, so ask about them before choosing a home.

Personal wheelchair budgets

In England, people referred to or registered with a wheelchair service who meet its criteria, and whose posture and mobility needs affect their wider health and social care needs, have a legal right to a personal wheelchair budget when they need a new chair. The budget is based on what the NHS would spend on a chair that meets the assessed clinical need. It can be used for the chair the NHS would provide or towards a different chair from an outside supplier, which can be useful if your parent wants a lighter or more stylish model and is willing to add their own money. If you buy outside the NHS service, ask who will repair and maintain the chair, as you should be given information about upkeep. A personal wheelchair budget is separate from council direct payments and personal budgets for care.

What to buy yourself, and how to avoid VAT

For a quick start or a second chair, many families buy a lightweight folding transit chair for outings. Before buying, measure door widths and the car boot, check the user’s weight against the chair’s maximum, and ask for a pressure-relieving cushion if your parent will sit for long periods, as poor seating is a common cause of pressure ulcers.

HMRC rules give VAT relief to people with a long-term impairment that affects daily life, or a chronic illness. Being older but not disabled does not qualify. You sign a short declaration for the supplier.

• Zero-rated (no VAT): wheelchairs; class 2 scooters (up to 4mph, pavement only); adjustable beds; stairlifts; alarm systems; equipment designed solely for disabled people, plus its repair and maintenance.
• Class 3 scooters (up to 8mph) are not zero-rated unless designed solely for disabled people.
• Reduced 5% rate for people aged 60 or over: grab rails, ramps, stairlifts, bath lifts, built-in shower seats and walk-in baths, when supplied and installed in the person’s home. It does not apply in a care home.

Worked example: a scooter priced at £1,200 before VAT would cost £1,440 at the standard 20% rate. Bought by a disabled person as an eligible class 2 scooter, it costs £1,200, a saving of £240.

Mobility scooters: the rules

Class 2 scooters and powered chairs have a top speed of 4mph and are for pavements and pedestrian areas. Class 3 vehicles can reach 8mph, can be used on the road and must be registered with the DVLA, though no vehicle tax is due. Insurance is not legally required but is strongly advised. Neither class may be used in cycle lanes. Scooters should only be driven by someone who has trouble walking, and the user must have adequate eyesight. If your parent has memory problems or poor eyesight, talk honestly about whether a scooter is safe, and consider a falls risk review too.

Motability and help with costs

The Motability Scheme lets people exchange their mobility allowance to lease a car, wheelchair-accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair. To qualify your parent needs one of: the enhanced rate of the PIP mobility component (£80.00 a week in 2026/27), the higher rate of the DLA mobility component, War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement or Armed Forces Independence Payment, with at least 12 months left on the award. In Scotland, the enhanced mobility rate of Adult Disability Payment gives access to the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme, also run through Motability Operations.

The catch for many older families is that new PIP claims must be made before State Pension age. People who claim after that get Attendance Allowance instead (£76.70 or £114.60 a week), which has no mobility component and cannot be used for Motability. It can still be spent on equipment, so check eligibility with our Attendance Allowance checker. See PIP rates and eligibility and Attendance Allowance vs PIP, and our guide to Blue Badges, Motability and concessions.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

NHS health boards in Scotland and Wales, and Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland, run their own wheelchair services with similar long-term-need criteria. The legal right to a personal wheelchair budget applies in England. VAT relief and the scooter rules apply UK-wide, and the Disabled Facilities Grant maximum is £36,000 in Wales and up to £35,000 in Northern Ireland (up to £70,000 in some cases); Scotland uses its own adaptation grants.

Frequently asked questions

Can you get a free wheelchair on the NHS?

Yes, if your parent has a long-term mobility need and meets the local NHS wheelchair service criteria, typically a need lasting over 6 months or regular use on 4 or more days a week. A GP or other health professional makes the referral. The chair is loaned free and returned when no longer needed. Occasional or short-term use is not usually covered.

Does the NHS provide mobility scooters?

No. NHS wheelchair services do not provide mobility scooters or powered chairs for outdoor use only. You can buy one, hire one, or lease one through the Motability Scheme if your parent gets the enhanced PIP mobility rate or higher DLA mobility rate. Class 2 scooters bought by a disabled person are zero-rated for VAT.

What is a personal wheelchair budget?

It is an NHS budget in England based on the cost of a chair meeting assessed needs. Since 2 December 2019, eligible wheelchair service users have had a legal right to one when they need a new chair. It can be used for the NHS-provided chair or towards a different chair from another supplier, with the person adding their own money if it costs more.

Can you get a Motability scooter with Attendance Allowance?

No. Attendance Allowance has no mobility component, so it cannot be exchanged for a Motability lease. You need the enhanced PIP mobility rate (£80.00 a week in 2026/27), the higher DLA mobility rate, War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement or Armed Forces Independence Payment. Attendance Allowance can still be used to buy equipment.

Do you pay VAT on a wheelchair?

Not if the user is disabled or chronically sick. Wheelchairs designed for disabled people are zero-rated for VAT, as are repairs and spare parts. Being older but not disabled does not qualify. You confirm eligibility by signing a short declaration for the supplier, and a relative can sign if the user cannot.

Do you need a licence or insurance for a mobility scooter?

No licence is needed for class 2 or class 3 scooters. Class 3 scooters, which can travel at up to 8mph on roads, must be registered with the DVLA but pay no vehicle tax. Insurance is not a legal requirement for either class but is strongly recommended to cover injury or damage to others.

Sources

• NHS England: Personal wheelchair budgets
• Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS: wheelchair service eligibility criteria
• Great Western Hospitals NHS: wheelchairs in care home settings
• GOV.UK: Reliefs from VAT for disabled and older people (VAT Notice 701/7)
• GOV.UK: Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs – classes
• GOV.UK: Mobility scooters – vehicle tax, registration and insurance
• mygov.scot: Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme
• Durham County Council: Motability

General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures for 2026/27, checked October 2026.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 29 October 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.