How to get a Mobility Scooter for Free
With prices ranging from £500 to £5,000 plus there is a vast amount of choice but you’ll have to make sure it’s a good fit for your needs and working within a budget can be limiting (you might also have to factor in costs of accessories and insurance). This is especially true if you’re on benefits or a low pension.
Sometimes people come by unwanted used mobility scooters for free, others might pay a nominal amount to take a scooter off someone’s hands. When these circumstances don’t arise what are your options? There are certainly ways to alleviate the cost but is it really possible to get a Mobility Scooter for free?.
NHS
People will often start by investigating whether they can get a mobility scooter from the NHS. Whilst it’s possible to get a voucher for the cost of a wheelchair or borrow one unfortunately Mobility Scooters are generally not available on the NHS and there is no assistance provided towards the cost of one. If a wheelchair is not an acceptable alternative there are a few other routes you can take.
MOTABILITY
Perhaps most popular option to get free mobility scooter is to lease one via the Motability Scheme. Basically, you would exchange your qualifying mobility allowance for a brand-new car, Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV), Mobility Scooter or Powered Wheelchair, so you can enjoy more freedom and independence.
To be eligible for the Motability Scheme. You will need to be in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- The higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
- The enhanced rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Armed Forces independent Payment or War Pensioners Mobility Supplement
If you live in Scotland:
- the higher rate mobility component of Child Disability Payment is replacing DLA for children living in Scotland aged three months to 18 years old; and
- the enhanced rate mobility part of Adult Disability Payment is replacing PIP for people living in Scotland aged between 16 and State Pension age.
These measures have been introduced by Social Security Scotland, which is taking over disability assistance payments from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) for people living in Scotland.
If you receive one of these benefits, you will be able to lease a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair. Motability will take all or part of your benefit in order to pay for the ongoing rental of your mobility scooter. The payment will also cover any repair costs, servicing and maintenance, and insurance cover.
Am I eligible for the Motability Scheme?
To find out if you’re eligible for the Motability Scheme click here.
What kind of Mobility Scooter could I get?
To explore the Mobility Scooter range on the Motability Scheme click here.
How will payments be handled?
Motability will take your payments directly from your allowance provider, to make paying simple. If your allowance doesn’t cover the complete costs of leasing etc you might need to top this up with an Advance Payment. Click here to find out more details.
How do I apply and order?
You can start applying for the Scheme online by clicking here. Once you’ve established that you are eligible, your document from the DWP will be needed, and then you need to contact your local Motability service provider (or dealer) which you can find by clicking here and popping in your postcode.
Motability Scheme Help
If you’re unsure about the process you can call and advisor on 0800 093 1000 or order an information pack from Motability by clicking here.
There’s potentially more help if you need some financial support to make an Advance Payment. Click here for the Motability Charity website. It’s always worth exploring all possibilities.
But what if you’re not receiving an allowance? Your next port of call would be charities and grants for support.
CHARITIES AND GRANTS
There are many charities and organisations throughout the UK offering financial assistance to buy mobility aids. Each one has its own criteria and applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Below is a list of charities which could help towards the cost by way of funding, grants or subsidies. It may take some work to get through them all but as you know Mobility Scooters don’t come cheap and it could be well worth the time invested.
Here is a selection of organisations that can offer funding, grants, subsidies or discounts for mobility products:
Aspire
Aspire is a national charity that provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by spinal cord injury (SCI). As part of its diverse range of support services, it offers the ‘Aspire Grants’ scheme which can assist with the purchasing of assistive equipment such as wheelchairs and power wheelchairs. Potential funds are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Barchester Healthcare Foundation
Barchester’s Charitable Foundation is a registered charity that helps older people and adults with a disability throughout England, Scotland & Wales. Their focus is about connecting or re-connecting people with others in their local community, and they support applications that combat loneliness and enable people to be active and engaged.
BLESMA
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, is a charity that supports serving and ex-Service men and women who have suffered life-changing limb loss or the use of a limb, an eye or loss of sight during active duty. It can provide financial assistance towards the provision of mobility scooters and other specialist equipment. They consider grant applications on an individual basis – based on specific needs and can assist with the purchasing of mobility scooters, wheelchairs and powerchairs.
Boparan Charitable Trust
A charity created with the sole aim of improving young peoples’ lives. The Boparian Charitable Trust provides funding to children with disabilities, life-limiting illnesses and those who are in extreme poverty across the UK. Our grants can fund specialist equipment such as wheelchairs, trikes, sensory toys not available on the NHS.
www.theboparancharitabletrust.com
Caudwell Children
Caudwell Children provide family support services, equipment, treatment and therapies for disabled children and their families across the UK. They also run an Enable Sport programme for talented disabled athletes and a Destination Dreams holiday programme for children fighting life threatening conditions.
Colchester Catalyst
Colchester Catalyst Charity aims to help relieve the sick and suffering by making a positive and ongoing contribution to the improvement of healthcare in North East Essex. Their primary mandate is to provide support that benefits as many people as possible, largely through direct contributions to organisations for specific and well-defined projects, including therapeutic aids, equipment and building works for medical or nursing care. However, they realise that some disabled individuals need specialised equipment that is not available through statutory organisations or other means. In these cases, they may make a contribution to the cost incurred by individuals.
Comedians Golfing Society
The Comedians Golfing Society has been active for over 40 years and has raised hundreds of thousands to support individuals. This support can range from supplying adapted tricycles, specialist car seats, mood lighting for sensory rooms and powered wheelchairs.
www.comediansgolfingsociety.co.uk
Dusk Till Dawn
DTD financially assist severely disabled people of all ages, individually or in groups to enable them to have access to equipment and services that can make a positive difference to their quality of life.
Elifar Foundation
The Elifar Foundation funds a wide range of specialised equipment, therapies and respite for children and adults with profound disabilities, physical disabilities or learning disabilities. Items funded in the past include wheelchairs, powerchairs mobility scooters treatment mobility aids, beds, specialised seating, trikes, communication aids, sensory equipment, holidays, treatments and therapies.
Family Fund
The Family Fund mission is to provide items and services to all low-income families in the UK raising disabled or seriously ill children, that they could not otherwise afford or access, and that help improve their quality of life, realise their rights, and remove some of the barriers they face.
Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust
The Trust provides grants to help people who are ill, convalescent or disabled.
It currently supports people of all ages with medical conditions, disability or poor health. However, if funding is limited preference with be given to people who have professional, secretarial, or administrative qualifications. Funding may be provided for a range of medical items and services to improve quality of life.
Friends of the Elderly
If you live in England or Wales, are of state retirement age and are living on a low income, a grant from Friends of the Elderly could help. Amongst other types of grant they will cover the cost of replacing everyday items, small home repairs and mobility adaptations.
Glasspool Charity Trust
A National charity providing small one-off grants to individuals in need on a low income. The Trust provides funding for household items such as white goods, furniture, clothing, baby needs, educational computer needs, specialist disability equipment, driving lessons/tests and travel to hospital.
The average grant is approx. £230.
Handicapped Children’s Action Group
This organisation provides specialist equipment like Mobility Aids for children with disabilities, learning difficulties and other special needs. An organisation aimed at parents who require financial assistance for their child’s special needs equipment.
Heinz, Anna and Carol Kroch Foundation
The Heinz, Anna and Carol Kroch Foundation provides grants for individuals suffering from severe poverty or on-going medical conditions. It will also support victims of domestic abuse.
Grants are provided towards hospital travel costs, household items, adaptations or disability equipment. They will not fund holidays or education.
Address: Heinz, Anna and Carol Kroch Foundation, PO Box 327, Hampton, London TW12 9DD
Telephone: 020 8979 0609
Independence at Home
An organisation that provides grants of up to £500 to people of all ages who have a physical or learning disability. This grant can be used towards not only a mobility scooter, but other home adaptation or essential items that are not available from public funds.
Linking Help with Hope
Linking Help with Hope (LHH) provide financial assistance for people experiencing hardship and who have exhausted other funding sources in the UK.
Margaret’s Fund
Margaret’s Fund is a UK charity which awards grants to caring professionals looking after women in financial need living in the UK and suffering from any illness.
Masonic Charitable Foundation
Masonic Charitable Foundation provides assistance to Freemasons and their dependents.
Amongst many other things the Foundation is able to offer support by way of grants for a range of mobility aids including power chairs, stair lifts, and car hoists.
MS Society
The Multiple Sclerosis Society provides Health and Well-being Grants which can pay for items that will ‘have a significant positive impact on your life’. These grants can help fund mobility scooters with a maximum contribution of £1,500. Up to £3,000 can be allocated towards the cost of a wheelchair or power wheelchair. If you have MS and live in the UK, you can apply for this grant. You can also apply if you care for someone with MS in the UK.
New Life
New Life provide loans and grants of equipment such as specialist beds and mattresses, buggies, car seats, functional seats, comfort seats, wheelchairs, accessories, communication aids and standing and walking frames.
Newby Trust
The Newby Trust provides funding for individuals in need for the relief of poverty and medical welfare.
Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts
A family group of trusts which work in many different areas. See the The Headley Trust for example which endeavours to support for older people to live independently for as long as possible and to improve older people’s quality of life in residential care homes, including:
- supporting people with dementia;
- support for carers of older people, both locally and nationally; and
- support for disadvantaged families and young people.
SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Air Force Association)
This UK Charity provides welfare and support for those serving in the armed forces, veterans and armed forces families. It can assist with the purchasing of mobility scooters, powerchairs and wheelchairs to ensure ex-army, RAF and Navy personnel remain independent.
St Jude’s Trust
The St Jude’s Trust supports the disabled and disadvantaged throughout England and Wales. It provides grants to both organisations and individuals.
For further information contact Mr. R G Millman, Druces LLP, Salisbury House, London Wall, London EC2 5PS
Steve Morgan Foundation
This foundation’s “Enable Fund” provides support for disabled people, in financial hardship, to obtain specialist equipment that cannot be supplied by the NHS, Education or Social Services. Beneficiaries must live within North Wales, Merseyside, West Cheshire and North Shropshire. It can provide grants for mobility aids such as wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs.
www.stevemorganfoundation.org.uk
The Carter Trust
Founded in 1993, The Andrew and Catherine Carter Trust is a UK based charity whose mission is to provide financial support for disabled people, especially by providing equipment to promote their effective employment and/or the adaptation of their housing or transport to meet their needs.
The Hospital Saturday Fund
The Hospital Saturday Fund is a registered charity whose aims are to provide assistance through its charitable funds for registered health charities, hospices and medical organisations who are in need of grants for medical projects, care, research or support of medical training within the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Individuals with a medical condition or disability who would benefit from assistance with the purchase of specialised equipment or from practical forms of treatment.
The Joseph Patrick Trust
The Joseph Patrick Trust (JPT) is the welfare trust of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. The trust provides financial support towards specialist equipment to help promote mobility and independence for people with muscular dystrophy, or a related muscle disease. Equipment can include TGA powered wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs or wheelchair powerpacks with the following maximum values donated:
- Electric Wheelchairs (Adults) – Up to £2,500
- Electric Wheelchairs (Children – under 18) – Up to £1,500
- Electric Scooters (Adults) – Up to £1,000
- Electric Scooters (Children – under 18) – Up to £900
- Manual Wheelchairs (Adults & Children) Up to £500
The League of Helping Hand
The League of Helping Hand (LHH) provides one-off grants for specialist, essential equipment that helps people experiencing illness or disability.
The Mobility Trust
The Mobility Trust specifically provides wheelchairs and larger mobility scooters (not folding/transportable designs) for people who have severe disabilities and who cannot obtain such equipment through other means.
The National Benevolence Charity
The National Benevolence Charity provides help to those in financial need.
It makes grants to help with essential needs purchase and arrange delivery of household items and supply vouchers for goods and services.
It may also be able to supplement an income and help during difficult periods through ill health, disability, age or some other reason.
The Nihal Armstrong Trust
A small charity set up in the memory of Nihal Armstrong who help to provide children with essential pieces of equipment, communication aids or specific services that their local authority does not provide.
www.nihalarmstrongtrust.org.uk
The Talisman Charitable Trust
The Talisman Charitable Trust helps individuals in need with one-off grants to relieve poverty for education, health, housing or disability.
The Willow Foundation
The Willow Foundation was set up by the former England and Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson and his wife Meg in memory of their daughter, Anna.
It provides special days out for seriously ill people aged 16 to 40 years who live in the UK. This includes young people with Cancer, Motor Neurone Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and organ failure.
Variety Children’s Charity
Variety provide all sorts of equipment and assistance for individuals, schools and other non-profit organisations, including wheelchairs, play equipment and car seats and fully accessible vehicles in the form of Variety Sunshine Coaches.
Vegetarian for Life (VfL)
Vegetarian for Life provides information and support for older vegans, vegetarians, their families, friends and a broad range of care caterers. It helps older people is through our Vegetarian and Vegan Fund for any practising vegetarian or vegan over the age of 60. Applicants must be in financial need with a relatively small regular income and low savings.
The grants are one-off funding to assist with independent living. For example: ramps, grab rails, minor kitchen/bathroom adaptation, mobility scooter and possibly respite care. Individual grants usually have an upper limit of £3,000.
Wheels for Martin’s Friends
Wheels for Martin’s Friends helps provide assistive equipment for people of all ages with disabilities, living in the South Cambridgeshire area. If individuals are unable to obtain funds from the NHS or do not have the funds themselves, Wheels for Martin’s Friends may support the purchasing of mobility products.
www.wheelsformartinsfriends.org.uk
ACCESS TO WORK
Government support is available through a programme called Access to Work (AtW) which can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability.
The support you get will depend on your needs. Through Access to Work, you can apply for:
- a grant to help pay for practical support with your work;
- support with managing your mental health at work; and
- money to pay for communication support at job interviews
More specifically AtW can fund assistive equipment such as mobility scooters, wheelchairs and wheelchair power packs. Funding doesn’t affect other benefits and Access to Work is only applicable to people who met certain criteria in England, Wales and Scotland. Find out more by clicking here.
FINANCE & LOANS
Having explored other options you might consider finance payments or short term loans. Make sure you can afford the instalments and check the total amount to pay if loan is taken. You can also benefit from using 0% credit cards for purchases made during initial period (usually 6-12 months).
HIRING A MOBILITY SCOOTER NEAR ME
Consider hiring a Mobility Scooter if it’s just for a temporary or limited use. We’ve listed a few companies below which could have what you’re looking for.
British Red Cross www.redcross.org.uk
Easyscoot – Mobility Scooter Hire & Sales www.easyscoot.org.uk
Event Mobility www.eventmobility.org.uk
Forbes Mobility www.forbes-rentals.co.uk
Fortuna Mobility Centre www.fortunamobility.com
Lifelong Healthcare www.lifelonghealthcare.co.uk
Mobility Scooter & Wheelchair Hire www.hireamobilityscooter.co.uk
Mobility Vehicle Hire Limited www.mobilityvehiclehire.net
Direct Mobility Hire www.directmobility.co.uk
Adapt A Home www.adaptahome.co.uk
LendoCare www.lendocare.com
Easy Pay Mobility www.easypaymobility.co.uk
Countryside Mobility www.countrysidemobility.org
Wheelfreedom www.wheelfreedom.com
CONCLUSION
The NHS will most likely not provide you with a free mobility scooter but don’t lose heart – there are many other options.
For starters if you’re in receipt of disability benefits you may qualify for the Motability Scheme.
If you draw a blank there and you’re able to put the time in you could explore the range of charities and community organisations we’ve listed here which may be able to help finance your purchase.
Additionally, you might qualify for support through the Access to Work programme.
Failing that you might have to revise your aim to get a new one and seek out a used Mobility Scooter.
We wish you luck!