~~ A Guide to Disability Aids and Grants ~~
Posted , 1 user is following.
Many people do not know who to contact when they require help with making their lives easier - just enough to be more independent, whether this is indoors or outdoors. You may look on the internet at disability aids, but the prices are completely out of your range. Well, those items are not really out of your range, it is just you do not know how to get the financial backing, without going to debt.
I wrote this guide to enable people with disabilities, to know where to find grants and funding, (what are your options, or cost to you). Basically, disabled people should not feel ‘alienated’ in this world, just because we have disorders that have caused us bigger problems, with being unable to do things we used to be able to do, feeling the loss of being independent can cause further health problems.
If you are in receipt of DLA or PIP then you will find there is help out there to get wheelchairs, walking aids, bathing aids, riser/decliner chairs, electric hospital beds, and much more. The problem most people hit is who you contact to even get such help, first would be your own doctor, they can do a lot more than just give you medication. They can refer you to District Nurses, they can supply you with many aids and will ask you various questions on how they can help you. If you see a Consultant regularly at the hospital then you could ask them.
1st Your Doctor
Now, your doctor could ask you to contact your local Adult Care Services, whom are normally situated in your local Council Offices. You would need to ask for an Occupational Therapist Team to review your house and needs.
2nd An Occupational Therapist
An Occupational Therapist has much more power to get grants for you, these can be from the Occupational Therapist Funding or they will apply on your behalf for a DFG (Disability Funding Grant).
Occupational Therapist Funded (Quick Low Cost items)
An Occupational Funded Grant comes from their annual funding, and is mainly for low cost items or items that are required urgently.
Disability Funding Grant (Slow Process - Expensive Items)
A Disability Funding Grant or DFG is a grant that is paid by the local Council for your area and has a limit of £25,000 per year. This could be one item or more, but are all covered by the DFG. The only problem with this type of grant is it can take up to 6 months to all go through the system, as it involves a lot of paperwork.
Other Optional Grants and Funding
Now, there are other places you can obtain grants from but these usually require the backing of a health professional, your doctor or a social worker could help. To find these go to Google and type in the search box “turn2us” omit the quotes. This is an area specific grant finder, and it relies on the keywords you type in.
Riser/Recliner Chairs (Disabled = VAT Exempt)
I mentioned a Riser/Recliner Chair these can only be funded by a grant from one of these companies and not an Occupational Therapist or District Nurse. Most will give you a limit of around £500-£750 – so then you will need to find a chair in this range. Now, because the chair is for a disabled person you are exempt from paying VAT, so you will need the price of the chair without VAT, but make sure you include delivery, this is usually a 2 man job, since it requires building in the room you will be using it in.
VAT Exempt
If you are disabled then you are exempt automatically from paying VAT. Any item that the sole purpose is for use by a disabled person, means you will need to fill in a form to state that you are disabled.
If you have any questions feel free to ask!
3 likes, 3 replies
DawnDedee SteV3
Posted
This is a very well put together wealth of information. I hope you are posting this in all relevant forums and posting it often.
💛 Dawn, USA
SteV3 DawnDedee
Posted
There was a woman on these forums recently, and she could not decide whether to take her pension fund at £80 a week, or take a lump sum of £20,000. The problem which was putting her in a tight place was that her husband and herself wanted to purchase a stairlift because they were finding the stairs an obstacle. Stair-Lifts do not come cheap either if you buy them directly yourself.
I informed her that such items could be purchased using a DFG (Disabled Funding Grant), and any other disabled aids could be be done the same way. About a month passed, and she come back on here to thank me for all the information, which not only allowed them to get all the disability aids, after having a review from an Occupational Therapist. But she looked at the possibilities of her Pension Fund, and took the £20,000 lump sum, which she did not need to spend on disability aids at all. So, I solved two problems she was facing by informing her of other options. She said she was so glad she met someone that knew about such schemes.
There is help around for disabled people, but it never gets published, so they are unaware of such schemes. Many of them do not even matter if you are living in council, or housing association property or even your own property.
Over the years I have had many adaptations done to the bungalow we live in, I try to be independent but as time progresses even simple tasks become impossible. Early this morning I was rushed in by Ambulance to hospital after suffering a grand mal seizure, but because I had chest pains they kept me in monitoring for 6 hours. It does take it out of me, and causes many things we try to plan to be side-tracked to another day. My wife picked me up from the hospital at 1pm, I come straight home and fell asleep for over 5 hours, which is normal. Well, normal for me perhaps not to anyone else. I still have to take 30+ tablets throughout the day. Next week, it is back to hospital to the Pain Management Clinic and Neurophysiotherapist.
A normal day in my life - you get used to having many appointments in a month!
Thanks for compliments, much appreciated.
Regards,
Les.
DawnDedee SteV3
Posted
There are a great many different health conditions with discussion forums listed on here that can become debilitating to the point of needing disability. Yes, do post on every relevant forms. I know COPD people could use this information.
Wishing you the strength to endure what you must and share what you know that can help others. In lies the beauty of this site.
💛 Dawn