Scheme: Scheme of Assistance for housing adaptations (Housing (Scotland) Act 2006).
There is no Disabled Facilities Grant in Scotland. If a site tells you to apply for a DFG for a Scottish address, it is using English wording for the wrong country.
Who runs it: your local council, plus the NHS/Social Work occupational therapy service for assessments. Each of Scotland’s 32 councils has its own published Scheme of Assistance.
Means-tested? Usually yes for owner-occupiers and private tenants. Some essential adaptations attract a mandatory 80 per cent grant regardless of income.
Typical timeline: 3 to 9 months from first enquiry to fitted stairlift. OT assessment lead times vary widely by council area.
How adaptations funding works in Scotland
Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 each local authority has to publish a Scheme of Assistance setting out what help it offers with major housing adaptations. Councils have flexibility on the detail, which means the grant rate, the means test and the list of eligible works can vary by postcode. For stairlifts the common pattern is:
- An OT assessment to confirm the stairlift is necessary, paid for by the council or NHS.
- A grant of up to 80 per cent of the eligible cost if you are an owner-occupier. A few councils raise this to 100 per cent for households on certain benefits.
- Full funding for essential adaptations in some cases if the disabled person is on a passported benefit or the work is for a child.
Council and housing-association tenants do not apply. Your landlord arranges the adaptation through its own budgets, usually at no cost to you.
Who qualifies
The three eligibility gates are similar to the rest of the UK but with Scottish terminology:
- You own your home or rent privately. Social tenants go through their landlord, not the Scheme of Assistance.
- An OT confirms the adaptation is needed. In Scotland the OT usually comes from the NHS or Social Work rather than adult social care as a separate service, though the practical effect is the same.
- The work is an “essential adaptation” or falls inside the Scheme of Assistance criteria. Stairlifts for someone with genuine mobility impairment almost always qualify.
Means test and capital rules
The Scottish means test works on household income, certain outgoings, and capital. The detail varies by council. Broadly:
- Receipt of a passported benefit (Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA/ESA, Universal Credit below the relevant threshold) usually triggers the maximum grant rate.
- Capital above roughly £16,000 usually tapers or removes entitlement except where mandatory 80 per cent applies.
- Children under 19 are not means-tested for essential adaptations.
Check your council’s published Scheme of Assistance for the exact figures. Many councils publish the criteria as a short PDF on their housing page.
How to apply, step by step
- Contact your council’s housing and adaptations team or Social Work department. Self-referral is accepted almost everywhere in Scotland.
- Arrange the OT assessment. NHS or Social Work OT confirms the stairlift is appropriate and specifies what type.
- Ask for a copy of the Scheme of Assistance. Your case officer should send you the grant rate you qualify for, the cap if any, and the documents they need for the means test.
- Complete the means test. Similar paperwork to England: pay, pensions, benefits, savings, council tax, rent or mortgage.
- Get quotes from approved installers. Councils usually use a framework of installers. You can ask for a non-framework installer but expect questions and a longer wait.
- Sign the grant approval in writing before any work starts. No approval letter, no retrospective payment.
- Installation and sign-off. Council inspects the work, pays the installer directly.
Care and Repair Scotland and other free help
Care and Repair is the closest equivalent to England’s home improvement agency network. It gives free, impartial help to older and disabled homeowners and private tenants with the application, means test and finding a reputable installer. Services vary by area.
- Care and Repair Scotland – national umbrella with links to local services.
- Age Scotland – free benefits checks and casework support.
- Citizens Advice Scotland – free help with means-test paperwork and appeals.
If the Scheme of Assistance does not cover the full cost
The 80 per cent grant rate can leave you with a four-figure contribution to find, especially for curved stairlifts. Sensible routes include:
- Charities and benevolent funds. Age Scotland, SSAFA, Royal British Legion (operates Scotland-wide), Turn2us, trade benevolent funds and disease-specific charities such as the MS Society and Parkinson’s UK all fund stairlifts for people who fit their criteria. See our charity funding guide.
- Council discretion. Ask whether the council operates a “top-up” or hardship route. Some do, some don’t.
- Reconditioned straight stairlifts. Reduces the total cost and therefore your contribution. Reconditioned guide.
- Short-term rental. Useful while the grant application is in progress. Stairlift rental.
Rough check: could you qualify?
Use the indicator below as a sanity check before you start the application. It is a guide only. Your council’s Scheme of Assistance is the real decision.
Stairlift grant indicator
A quick private check. Nothing leaves your browser. Your council or NIHE, not this site, makes the real decision.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Don’t treat English DFG rules as if they apply here. The £30,000 English ceiling is not a Scottish number. The rules, the means test and the grant rate all work differently.
- Don’t pay for the stairlift before you have the grant approval in writing.
- Don’t assume every council does the same thing. Check the Scheme of Assistance for your specific council. Aberdeen City, Glasgow City, Edinburgh City, Highland and the rural island authorities all have distinct policies.
Sources
- Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 – the primary legislation.
- mygov.scot: Housing grants for older and disabled people – official entry point.
- Care and Repair Scotland – free, impartial help with applications.