How to save money on mobility aids

A good mobility aid can change your life - and it can also cost as much as a used car. A quality rollator can run to a few hundred, a lightweight manual wheelchair well over a thousand, and a powerchair or scooter several thousand more. The good news is that not everyone needs to pay full retail price.

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This guide walks through the 6 main ways to cut the cost: getting assessed before you buy, using your National Disability Card discounts, applying for grants, hiring or buying second hand - plus a handful of smaller tips that add up.

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1. Start with a free assessment

The cheapest mobility aid is often the one the NHS or your local council provides. Before you spend anything, ask your GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist (OT) to refer you to your local NHS wheelchair service. Walking sticks and frames are often supplied through NHS physiotherapy, and wheelchairs through the wheelchair service, usually on free long-term loan if you meet the criteria. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, these services are run by your health board or health and social care trust.

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You can also contact your council's adult social care team and ask for a needs assessment. If you qualify, the community equipment service can lend you everyday aids such as perching stools, raised toilet seats and bath boards.

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An assessment also protects you from the most expensive mistake of all: buying the wrong thing. A wheelchair that is the wrong width, a scooter too heavy for your car boot, or a rollator at the wrong height will end up gathering dust. An OT can tell you exactly what specification you need, which also makes you a sharper shopper if you do end up buying.

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If the standard chair the NHS offers doesn't fully meet your needs, ask about a Personal Wheelchair Budget. In England, this lets you put the value of the NHS-provided chair towards a better one and pay only the difference. Bear in mind that the NHS rarely provides mobility scooters, so for those the funding routes later in this guide matter most.

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2. Get 20% off with VAT relief

People who are chronically sick or disabled can buy wheelchairs, many mobility scooters and other equipment designed for disabled people free of VAT, saving 20% on the list price. Normally you'll simply need to sign an eligibility declaration with the retailer; no doctor's letter is needed.

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People aged 60 and over who aren't disabled can still get a reduced 5% VAT rate on certain mobility aids installed in their home, such as stairlifts and grab rails.

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3. Use your National Disability Card discounts

Your National Disability Card is one of the easiest ways to unlock discounts on mobility products. Login to our website or our free app with your unique card number to see the mobility discounts available to card holders. The card costs £20 (valid for two years) and you can easily make that back on your first purchase of mobility equipment. Here are some examples of what you could save:

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Mobility scooter and wheelchair savings 🦽

✅ £339.50 saved on an AeroCarbon folding scooter (normally £3,395) from Dunstable Mobility. Learn more and get 10% off

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‍✅ £254.80 saved on an Airium mobility scooter (normally £2,548) from Complete Care Shop. Learn more and get 10% off.

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✅ £149.90 saved on a Connex folding scooter (normally £1,499) from Complete Care Shop. Learn more and get 10% off.

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✅ £142.90 off a Multitec tilt-in-space wheelchair (normally £1,429) from Dunstable Mobility. Learn more and get 10% off.

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✅ £50 off the Lifeglider from Mobility UK. Learn more.

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Walking stick and crutches savings 🩼

✅ £23.40 saved on Glamsticks' £156 Kaleidoscope crutch. Learn more and get 15% off.

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✅ £29.25 saved on Cool Crutches Midnight Sky crutches (normally £194.99). Learn more and get 15% off.

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Adaptive clothing and daily living aids savings 👊🏼

✅ £7.20 saved on Active Hands' best-selling General Purpose Gripping Aid (normally £71.95) - or £33.50 saved on the Gym Pack Deluxe. Learn more and get 10% off.

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✅ £27 saved on a pair of DB Ella zip boots from Wide Fit Shoes (normally £179.99). Learn more and get 15% off.

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‍✅ Around £6 saved on a pair of adapted cargo trousers from Adapted Trends (normally £59-£64). Learn more and get 10% off.

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💡 Prices and discounts in this section are accurate as of the time of writing on 26th Oct 2026. Partner offers change over time, so check the discounts page before every big purchase. It's also worth asking each retailer how these discounts combine with VAT relief, as that can stack your savings further.

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4. Apply for grants and funding schemes

A number of charities and public schemes will pay for some or all of a mobility aid, especially equipment your health service won't cover, such as scooters and powerchairs. Each funder sets its own criteria and assesses cases individually, so it pays to apply to several. The main types of funding to look for are:

• Motability. The Motability Scheme lets people on the higher or enhanced mobility rate of DLA or PIP exchange their allowance for a scooter or powered wheelchair, with insurance and servicing included.
• Work-related support. Access to Work, available in England, Wales and Scotland to people aged 16 and over who are working or about to start a job, can fund wheelchairs, scooters and power packs if they help you get to or do your job. If it asks you for a "social and domestic contribution" because the equipment also helps outside work, the Motability Foundation may reimburse that contribution.
• Disability charities. The Mobility Trust supports people with severe disabilities who can't get suitable equipment through statutory schemes.
• Children and young people. Charities such as Newlife, Family Fund and Whizzkids help families of disabled children with wheelchairs and mobility equipment, often with an income threshold.

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The quickest way to find funders you qualify for is a grants search tool such as Turn2us, or your local Citizens Advice. Some grants only accept applications through an OT, social worker or support worker, so ask your professional to apply on your behalf. Charity grants are often means-tested and can take several weeks to come through, so start early and get a written quote for the exact item before you apply.

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5. Hire instead of buying

You don't always have to buy a mobility aid outright. Hiring spreads the cost into smaller payments and avoids a big outlay on something you might not need for long. Plus you can make hiring even more affordable with discounts if you're a National Disability Card holder.

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Hiring makes most sense when:

• You need equipment short term, such as a wheelchair for a few weeks after an operation or a scooter for a holiday.
• You want to try before you buy. A week or two with a scooter or powerchair shows you whether it suits your home, car and daily routine.
• Your needs may change. Renting lets you swap to a different model rather than being stuck with one that no longer fits.
• You'd rather pay monthly. Long-term rental turns a large purchase into a predictable cost.

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The main ways to hire in the UK are:

• Mobility hire companies and local mobility shops, which rent wheelchairs, scooters, rollators and other aids by the day, week or month, often with delivery included. National Disability Card holders save 10% on hiring from Mobility Hire.
• The Motability Scheme, if you get a qualifying mobility allowance. You lease a scooter or powered wheelchair with insurance, servicing and breakdown cover built in.
• Shopmobility, which lends manual wheelchairs, powerchairs and scooters for use in many town centres and shopping centres, free or for a small fee.

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Before going down the hiring route, ensure you compare the total cost of hire against buying: for long-term needs, buying (or a second-hand purchase) can work out cheaper after several months.

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6. Buy second hand

Mobility aids often come up for sale used, because needs change, people recover, or equipment is passed on after a bereavement. Buying used can take a significant chunk off the price, but make sure that any equipment fits your needs and is in good working order - to avoid having to replace it sooner than you'd like.  Good places to look include:

• Specialist dealers selling refurbished stock. Usually a little dearer than private sales, but the equipment is checked, serviced and often comes with a short warranty.
• Disability charity shops and equipment recycling schemes. Some charities and councils refurbish donated aids and resell or reissue them cheaply.
• Disability charities and support groups. For example, the MSA Trust allows members to advertise equipment they no longer need.

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Other ways to save

A few smaller habits can add up to real savings, especially over the life of a piece of equipment.

• Borrow or hire before you buy. Charity short-term loan services, local Shopmobility schemes and hire companies let you try a wheelchair or scooter for a holiday, a recovery period or a trial run. If you only need it for a few weeks, hiring is almost always cheaper.
• Check for discounts and compare quotes. Prices for the same model can vary between dealers, so it's worth getting a few quotes. Check whether you can get the same item at a discount from a National Disability Card partner.
• Shop the sales. Black Friday, January sales and trade shows such as Naidex often bring great reductions.
• Look after your equipment. Regular cleaning, correct tyre pressures and proper battery charging extend the life of your equipment and avoid costly repairs.
• Sell (or donate) when you no longer need something. Passing an aid on recovers some of your outlay and helps someone else save too.