Mobility aids buying guide for over-60s

Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.

The right mobility aid can keep you shopping, visiting friends and living in your own home for years longer, but it pays to get advice and try things before you spend. This guide explains what is out there, what it roughly costs, and how to get equipment free or cheaper.

Start with a free assessment, not a showroom

Before you buy anything larger than a walking stick, ask your council's adult social care team for a needs assessment. It is free, whatever your income or savings. An occupational therapist (often shortened to OT, a health professional who specialises in making daily tasks easier) visits your home, sees how you manage and suggests equipment or changes.

The NHS says equipment and small home adaptations are provided free if the assessment finds you need them, and that councils in England should pay for small adaptations costing under £1,000, such as grab rails. In England and Wales you can ask for a needs assessment on GOV.UK. In Scotland contact your council's social work department, and in Northern Ireland your local Health and Social Care Trust.

Tip: Even if you plan to pay for everything yourself, the assessment is still worth having. An occupational therapist has nothing to sell, so the advice is impartial.

Four ways to pay less

Council or NHS equipment services. Walking sticks, frames, raised toilet seats, bath seats and similar items are often lent free after an assessment. Wheelchairs come through NHS wheelchair services.
Grants for bigger work. A Disabled Facilities Grant from your council can pay for a stairlift, ramp or level-access shower in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own system of adaptation grants through the council.
VAT relief. If you have a long-term illness or disability you can usually buy equipment designed for disabled people without paying VAT. See our guide to VAT relief on mobility aids.
Benefits that help with costs. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and can be spent on anything, including equipment. Our benefits checklist shows what else you may be missing.

Try before you buy

Mobility shops, independent living centres run by councils and charities, and Shopmobility schemes all let you try equipment. Hiring for a week or two is a cheap way to find out whether a wheelchair or scooter suits you. See hiring mobility equipment.

Watch out: Be wary of any company that wants to demonstrate a stairlift, chair or scooter in your home and take an order the same day. You have extra legal rights when you buy at home, explained in our guide to doorstep selling rights.

Every guide in this section

Getting out and about

Mobility scooters – class 2 and class 3, pavement and road rules, batteries and insurance.
Rollators and walking frames – three wheels, four wheels or a simple frame, and how to set the height.
Walking sticks – how to measure for one, handle shapes and when to replace the ferrule.
Wheelchairs – self-propelled, transit and powered chairs, and how NHS wheelchair services work.
Shopping trolleys – two, four and six wheels, and trolleys with a seat.
Ramps and threshold aids – getting over door sills and steps safely.

Around the home

Stairlifts – straight and curved, reconditioned, rental and grants.
Riser recliner chairs – single or dual motor, and why size matters most.
Bath lifts and shower seats – bathing safely without a new bathroom.
Grab rails – where to put them and how they should be fixed.
Raised toilet seats – heights, fittings and frames.
Bed rails and bed aids – getting in and out of bed, and the safety checks that matter.
Perching stools – taking the weight off in the kitchen or bathroom.

Paying for it and the schemes that help

Buying second-hand mobility equipment – what is safe to buy used and what to check.
Hiring mobility equipment – Shopmobility, British Red Cross wheelchair hire and holiday hire.
The Motability Scheme – who qualifies, and why Attendance Allowance does not count.
Blue Badge guide – who can get one and how to apply in each UK nation.

Common questions

Do I have to be registered disabled to get equipment from the council?

No. There is no register you need to be on. Anyone who is finding daily tasks difficult can ask for a needs assessment, and the decision is based on what you need help with.

Will the council's equipment be mine to keep?

Most equipment is on long-term loan. You keep it for as long as you need it and hand it back afterwards so it can be cleaned and reused. Ask who to ring if it breaks, as repairs are normally the service's job, not yours.

Is it worth paying privately instead of waiting?

For small, cheap items it often is, and you can still ask for an assessment later. For anything expensive, such as a stairlift, get the assessment first: GOV.UK warns that you might not get any grant if you start work before the council approves your application.

Where can I get independent advice?

Your council's occupational therapy team, your GP surgery, Age UK and Citizens Advice are all good starting points. Our guide to preventing falls at home covers simple changes that cost little or nothing.