If you have a disability or reduced mobility, it can seem obvious that life may need some alterations. This can be items that you use, new furniture for your home, or your living areas may need to be adapted. There is a huge range of items and functions that can assist and make life a little easier. It seems pretty straight forward, right? Not always.
Quite often we have customers who require aids or adaptions that we can provide. However, some customers are going without simply because they feel it might not be available to them in their particular circumstances. We have a number of options and suggestions available, which may help.
Firstly, always talk to us about the range of products we offer and if a reconditioned piece of equipment might be an option.
Secondly, use the following information and contacts to enquire about grants that can assist. A lot of customers are unaware of the support that is potentially available, which could make positive changes much more attainable. If you have a family member who could benefit from home aid assistance it might be worth sitting down and going over these options.
The following schemes are available through your local authority. They should help you assess and decide what scheme best suits your circumstances.
The Mobility Aids Grant Scheme
This scheme provides grants for works designed to address mobility problems in the home, such as the purchase and installation of grab-rails, a level access shower, access ramps or a stair-lift.
If you require more extensive works to be done, or if you do not qualify under the means test for the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme, you can apply for the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability instead.
The third option is The Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, which is used to improve the condition of an older person’s home. In general, it is aimed at people 66 years of age and older, who are living in poor housing conditions. However, in cases of genuine hardship the local authority may assist people under age 66.
Another option to consider is VAT Refunds.
You may get a refund of Value-Added Tax (VAT) on certain special aids and appliances that you need. This scheme of VAT refunds on aids and appliances can also apply to adaptation and installation work being carried out to make a home more suitable for an older person or for a person with a disability
Lastly please don’t forget to check in with your private health insurance or the HSE (issuer of medical card). Both have the potential to help cover the provision of aids and appliances necessary to assist you with your daily living.
There is a variety of assistance available and because we have customers from all over Ireland the best way to access these schemes is by calling Citizens information and mentioning the above grant/support and your local area, this will allow them to give you the local authority who can assess this for you. Citizens Information can be reached on 0761 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm) or you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre.
Our aim has always been to enable customers to live the best life they possibly can. We will always advocate for assistance in achieving that goal. If you come across any other local or national assistance programmes we would love to hear from you. Sharing this kind of information can have huge benefits for our community.
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