Equipment Grants and Loans

Beds

We can’t fund:

• Beds for co-sleeping, time out, or safe spaces
• Beds for residential homes, hospices, or hospitals
• Safety sleeper beds
• High sided beds without a medical/postural need
• Non-essential customisations, warranties, insurance, or service packages

Buggies

We can’t fund:

• Buggies for children under five without a medical or postural need
• Buggies for children over eight without a medical or postural need
• Travel, double, or standard high-street buggies
• Weather protection as extras
• Activity trays

Car seats

We can’t fund:

• Car seats for school transport
• Car seats for children under 12 unless there is a medical/postural need or exceptional circumstances where all other options to keep the child safe in transit have been exhausted
• Car seats for children who already have access to a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV)
• Loan car seats

Wheelchairs and power chairs

We can’t fund:

• Children not assessed as safe to use powered wheelchairs or power add on
• Wheelchairs where there is no suitable, level, secure, and dry charging point
• Non-essential customisations, warranties, insurance, or service packages
• Power wheelchairs for children without a medical/postural need
• Loan wheelchairs

General rules (apply to all applications)

We can’t fund:

Equipment not supported by a recognised professional

Equipment for children over the age of 18 years old (If applying at 18, the child must have been awarded the grant before their 19th Birthday)

Non UK residents whereby the child has not lived in the UK for at least 6 months

Equipment already ordered before funding approval

Equipment used for restraint, or used outside the limits set by the manufacturer or safety guidelines

Applications where funding has been provided within the past 12 months

Grants for elective or planned hospital admissions

Equipment for one-off or occasional use only

Equipment not supported by a recognised professional

Professionals who you have nominated to support that are not actively involved in the child’s care

Equipment applications not approved by your supporting professional

Requests not involving appropriate professional involvement

Requests where statutory services have not been contacted (except in specific car seat cases)

Equipment outside our approved suppliers

Moulded or bespoke/custom-made equipment

Adaptations to existing equipment

Duplicate provision

You can apply for an equipment grant or loan if the child is:

• A UK resident or has lived here for over six months
• Under 19 years old
• And has a disability or health condition

Each child will need a health or social care professional to support their application depending on the equipment type requested. They must be involved in the child’s care.

We can support funding requests up to £10,000.

Short-term loans (up to six months) are only available for children with medical needs where there is a sudden change to their condition. 

You can’t apply for a grant if you’ve received an equipment funding grant in the past 12 months

You will need a nominated professional to support your child’s application.

The professional who supports your application depends on the type of need your child has.

For postural medical needs, support can come from:

• Occupational Therapist
• Physiotherapist
• Condition-specific nurse

For environmental needs, support can come from:

• Occupational Therapist
• Physiotherapist
• Condition-specific nurse
• Nurse
• Social worker
• Health visitor

Please speak to your nominated professional before you apply. Let them know you are making an application and that they will receive an email from us asking them to support your child’s application.

The quickest and easiest way to apply is by using our online form.

You’ll need your child’s NHS number when you apply, so please have it ready. 

You’ll also need the support of a qualified professional to support your application. We will send them an application to complete once we have received and reviewed yours. We don’t contact professionals on your behalf.

The application is only accessible when grant funding is available. If you can’t access the grant form, then we’re not able to offer funding.

We understand that this may be disappointing. We know how important it is for children to have the right equipment and support to help them live as independently and comfortably as possible.

We have recently made some changes to our eligibility criteria. These changes follow professional guidance and recommendations and help us make sure that equipment is provided when it is most appropriate for a child’s needs and at the right stage of their journey.

If your child is not eligible for a grant, there may still be other support available. We encourage you to visit our Resources and Signposting Hub, where you can find useful information, advice, and details of organisations that may be able to help.

You are also welcome to book an appointment with one of our nurses. They can talk with you about your child’s needs, answer any questions you may have, and help you explore other services or sources of support that may be right for your family.

We are here to support you and help you find the information and guidance you need.

The quickest and easiest way to check the progress of your application is through the portal. You can find a link to access it in the emails we’ve sent about your grant application. Simply follow the link to view the latest updates and status of your application. You can also use the portal to update your contact details if anything has changed.