Home adaptations and equipment

Sometimes, adaptations can mean the difference between staying in the home you love and needing to move. But you might not always need your home adapting. Expert support from an occupational therapist or social worker can help you think about your options.

Jump to:

• What are adaptations, gadgets and equipment?
• How do I get adaptations or equipment?
• Paying for equipment
• Paying for home adaptations
• Disabled Facilities Grants
• Scheme of Assistance and funding in Scotland
• Other sources of grants for adaptations
• If you don’t qualify for a grant
• Can you save on VAT?
• Telling your landlord about home adaptations
• Find out more about home adaptations

What are adaptations, gadgets and equipment?

Adaptations are changes to the structure of your home that make living with MS easier. Gadgets and equipment could be anything from an app on a mobile phone, to a handy seat for the shower. 

Adaptations can be major, like converting a bathroom into a wet room, or fitting a lift. Or much smaller, like a ramp for a wheelchair or fitting a grab handle to a wall. It depends what’s right for you and your home.

Bathroom adaptations are one of the most common rooms people change to make things easier. But you might find other adaptations helpful too. 

Gadgets and equipment

Sometimes a gadget or piece of equipment is all the help you need to make an everyday activity easier.

There are hundreds of different items which people find helpful for their own situation. Lots are designed for people living with health conditions. But you might find things that work for you in high street stores, or useful apps on your phone. 

Have you spoken to an occupational therapist? They can help you think about the best options for you. And they can tell you about any gadgets that could be free for you through social care services or the NHS.

With so many options available, there are organisations who specialise in gadgets and equipment:

• Living Made Easy has information about many types of equipment and technology
• The Research Institute for Disabled People has reviews of gadgets and equipment from people who've used them. In some parts of the country there are Independent Living Centres where you can find out about equipment or try it out
• The Disability Equipment Service and The Mobility Market are both online ways to buy and sell new and used equipment
• If what you need isn’t available to buy, Remap.org.uk can design and make free, tailor-made equipment to meet your individual needs

Find examples of adaptations, gadgets and equipment room by room 

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How do I get adaptations or equipment?

Your local council can advise you on adaptations and equipment. In Northern Ireland, speak to your Health and Social Care Trust instead.

They can send an occupational therapist or a social worker to see what you need. This could be as part of a social care assessment. You might hear an occupational therapist called an OT.

You could also get a referral to an occupational therapist through:

• your GP
• your social worker
• your MS team

And you can often refer yourself to the occupational therapy service. Just contact the social services department of your council or Trust.

An occupational therapist can give you advice on what to get. And you might see things yourself that look useful from organisations that specialise in gadgets and equipment.

Read more about how occupational therapists can help when you have MS

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Paying for equipment

Before you buy equipment, check if you can get it for free. An occupational therapist can tell you if it’s available from your local council (or Trust in Northern Ireland) or from the NHS. 

Assessment for social care

If you have an assessment for social care services, ask about equipment then. After an assessment for social care, you’ll get a care and support plan. That could include equipment the council or Trust will give you. Or it might mention equipment you can buy with a personal budget they give you. That’s called a direct payment. 

Councils consider your financial situation before deciding how much of the cost they’re willing to pay.

If you get equipment for free, you might only get the most basic option. If you want something more expensive, you might need to pay the difference.

Benefits you’re entitled to

Make sure you're getting any benefits you’re entitled to. They’re designed to help with the extra costs of having a disability, like buying equipment.

NHS equipment on loan

You can get some items on loan from the NHS. Or an occupational therapist or GP can prescribe them for you.

If they agree you need them, the NHS must provide certain things like wheelchairs and orthotics. Orthotics are things to help you walk, like a Functional Electrical Stimulation device for foot drop. 

They can also provide any technology someone needs to communicate. And they can provide environmental control units. These are systems that help you do things remotely like control lights, doors, curtains, or call for attention. 

Grants for equipment

Charities and benevolent societies might help you get or pay for equipment. An occupational therapist can help with this. To get one of their grants, some societies will ask that an occupational therapist recommends it for you. 

In Great Britain, if the equipment will help you stay in work, you might get an Access to Work grant. There’s different support available in Northern Ireland.

Get help to find equipment grants at:

• turn2us.org.uk
• Disability-grants.org
• your local MS Society or carers group. Ask if they know of places that offer grants

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Paying for home adaptations

There are different ways to pay for home adaptations, depending on how big they are. In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland adaptations are called either ‘minor’ or ‘major’. In Wales they are ‘small’, ‘medium’ or ‘large’.

Minor changes are things that usually cost less than £1,000 (£1,500 in Scotland) like:

• fitting special taps
• fixing hand or grab rails on walls
• moving power sockets
• changing locks or light switches
• making ramps for a wheelchair

Major changes are things that usually cost over £1,000 (£1,500 in Scotland) like:

• widening doors to let a wheelchair through
• installing a wet room or replace a bath with a wheelchair-friendly shower
• putting in a stairlift or lift between floors
• installing an easier to use heating or lighting system
• lowering kitchen work surfaces
• building a downstairs bedroom or bathroom

Paying for minor home adaptations

In England and Scotland, minor changes you need like ramps or rails should be provided for free by your council. That's no matter what your finances are or whether you own or rent your home. 

In Wales, you might be asked to make a ‘reasonable’ payment towards the cost. 

In Northern Ireland, the Trust will decide if they will pay for it or not. 

Housing associations might pay for minor changes themselves. Or you can apply to your council or Trust and they'll treat the Housing Association like a when working out who pays what.

Paying for major home adaptations

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is the main way to pay for larger adaptations.

In Scotland, if you’re a homeowner, major adaptations are usually paid for with a grant from your council through the Scheme of Assistance. It also applies to some private tenants. There are different ways to get funding for adaptations in Scotland if you rent from the local authority or a housing association. 

Around the UK there are other sources of funding for adaptations, like home improvement agencies and Care and Repair. 

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Disabled Facilities Grants

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a Disabled Facilities Grant is the main way people pay for larger adaptations. This is true whether you own your home, rent from a private landlord, or you’re a council or housing association tenant. But you must intend to live in the property for at least five years.

For a DFG, you or your landlord need to apply to your local council (or Trust in Northern Ireland). An occupational therapist from your council or Trust visits you to see what you need.

Disabled Facilities Grants are means tested. So you have to pay towards the cost if you have over a certain amount in financial resources (what they call ‘capital’). When a landlord applies, they are not means tested.

Waiting lists for these grants can be long in some places. But by law you should get a decision within six months. If you’re successful, you should get the money within 12 months of applying.

You can appeal if you’re turned down for one of these grants, or if you’re not happy with the amount they offer you.

Read the UK Government guide to the Disabled Facilities Grant

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Scheme of Assistance and funding in Scotland

In Scotland, all local councils have to provide grants through the Scheme of Assistance so you can access ‘standard amenities’. For example, making the bathroom, shower or sink accessible. You can also apply for grants for adaptations you need for other parts of your home. 

You’ll usually need a social care assessment to confirm what adaptations will be covered by any grant or loan. 

The Scheme of Assistance applies to homeowners and some private tenants. If you rent from the council or a housing association they would normally need to pay for the adaptations you need. 

Exactly what funding is available and what you need to do depends on the kind of tenant or homeowner you are. The Scottish Government has guides for everyone. 

Read the Scottish Government guide to the Scheme of Assistance

Read the Scottish Government guide for adaptations for housing association tenants

Read the Scottish Government guide for adaptations for council tenants

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Other sources of grants for adaptations

Across the UK there are other organisations which offer grants for home adaptations. These might be ‘home improvement agencies’, or schemes which work with local councils, called ‘Care and repair’ or ‘Staying put’. For example: 

• The charity Independence at Home
• Foundations (for home improvement agencies in England)
• Care and Repair in Scotland 
• Care and Repair Cymru in Wales
• Radius Housing and G.A.B.L.E for help to apply in Northern Ireland 

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If you don’t qualify for a grant

If you don't qualify for a grant, you might want to get financial advice about your options. Regulated financial advice can help with things like: 

• taking out loans
• moving house
• raising money through ‘equity release’

The UK Government site Money helper has information and advice. You should get independent financial advice to help you make the best decision for you.

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Can you save on VAT?

Legally, MS is considered a disability from the day you’re diagnosed. So you shouldn’t pay VAT on disability equipment if you need to: 

• pay for it
• repair it 
• have it serviced

You also shouldn’t pay VAT for adaptions you need because of disability. 

Check if you can be exempt from paying VAT before you order or pay for equipment or building work. Claiming it back after you’ve paid it is more complicated. If you get a quote, make sure VAT isn’t added. VAT is 20% so it can be a big saving. 

Read more about VAT relief on equipment and VAT relief on building work.

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Telling your landlord about home adaptations

For any adaptations, private tenants need permission to make any changes from the landlord. But a landlord can’t say no to this unless there’s a good reason.

In Scotland, council or housing association tenants should let their landlord know if they need any adaptations. Usually the council or housing association will pay for these.

By law landlords must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for their disabled tenants. Landlords can get financial help to pay for adaptations. If you rent from the council or a housing association, they should pay for these.

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Find out more about home adaptations

Read more about planning and paying for adaptations on the Living Made Easy website

Read government guidance for home adaptations in Wales

Read government guidance for home adaptations in Northern Ireland

Citizens Advice information for home adaptations in Scotland

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