Disabled Entitlement in the UK
As a disabled person in the United Kingdom you will likely be entitled to some form of government benefits to offset the way your disability may impact your ability to work and earn a living – either consistently or entirely – or to cover the additional costs that so often come with being a disabled person. Many people are unaware of the host of other entitlements you may be able to claim as a result of being disabled.
Whether you have been disabled for a long time, or disability and ill-health represent a new development in your life or the life of a loved one, it’s important to know exactly what you’re entitled to, and how to claim these entitlements.
Explore each section of our guide by clicking the menu topics below:
All information presented in this guide is accurate as of the original date of publication: January 2025
We will try our best to maintain this article with up to date information, but please be sure to check with the service providers listed.
Types of Benefits
In order to claim many of the entitlements, you will need to prove your eligibility by providing evidence that you are in receipt of a form of disability benefit.
The primary types of disability benefits available in the UK are:
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children
- Health conditions, disability and Universal Credit
Find out more about benefits and financial support for disabled people.
Getting Around
Getting around if you have a disability can be a hassle. Fortunately, there are multiple schemes, grants, and programs that can minimise this hassle and help you regain the confidence to venture out and enjoy the freedom it affords.
Motability Scheme
Through the motability scheme, you can use your qualifying disability benefits to receive a mobility scooter, powerchair, wheelchair adapted vehicle, or car, in exchange.
Reduced Cost Wheelchair | Motability
If you qualify with enhanced PIP for a motability vehicle, you can – on order of the vehicle – claim a wheelchair as part of the Motability Scheme for £100. You have the option of a transit or self-propelled wheelchair to suit your specific needs. You do not have to be wheelchair dependent to qualify. This would be organised by the dealership, who would take the payment and arrange the wheelchair order via a mobility specialist such as Modern Mobility. The wheelchair would be delivered directly to you, for a worry-free experience.
This scheme benefits both the dealership and the recipient, so don’t be afraid to mention it to your car dealership Motability salesperson when ordering your car or wheelchair adapted vehicle through the Motability Scheme.
Blue Badge
The Blue Badge scheme allows recipients access to reserved disabled parking spaces in public spaces. There is a small cost associated with getting a blue badge, but the benefits are more than worth it. Disabled parking bays are often wider than normal bays, with extra space allowance along the sides for easier access to open the side doors.
To prove your rights to access disability accommodations without having to use your Blue Badge, schemes such as the National Disability Card, Access Card, and Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme can be helpful, though some require payment to obtain.
Disabled Persons Railcard
Enjoy 1/3rd off rail travel for you and a companion using a Disabled Persons Railcard. Disabled Persons Railcards – like all railcards – can be purchased at a cost, but are worthwhile for even occasional rail users. Most make annual savings of around £113, and the card can be used in a digital app-based format or sent as a physical card.
As a disabled rail passenger, you have the right to assistance at any station in the UK. It is best to pre-book passenger assistance where possible, though train operators should be able to offer assistance even when it has not been booked. You also have a right to information being communicated clearly in both visual and auditory formats, and to incur no penalty on tickets and fares if you have been unable to book in advance due to disability.
Check your eligibility for a Disabled Person Railcard, and find out more about the benefits and pricing packages.
Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
Travel for free or at a reduced cost by bus with a disabled person’s bus pass. Disabled bus passes are run by local councils as part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme. Each area’s passes will operate slightly differently. In some areas, the bus pass entitles passengers to free travel during peak times and on weekends, and reduced fares at other times, for example.
Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass directly with your local council. To obtain the pass you must be based in England and have an ‘eligible disability’.
Travel Accommodations
Whether you’re booking a hotel for a staycation, or jetting off abroad for a sun-soaked getaway, you are entitled to travel accommodations to make your time away from home as easy as possible. When booking a hotel, be sure to check the facilities of the room and hotel. Is there a lift? Do they have accessible rooms? Would you benefit from a wet room, or a bathroom with lowered counters and baths? Is there parking on site and close to the entrance? Can you contact the hotel ahead of time to ask about their policy on emergency evacuation, or to pre-book help with your bags? Consider your needs and search for accommodation with those specifications in mind. Accessible rooms should not cost extra than standard comparable rooms.
As for travelling abroad, know your rights and be sure to pre-book airport assistance through your airline, as outlined in our Disabled Holiday Maker Guide.
Reducing Costs
Disability VAT Exemption
When buying items to help you manage your disability or health condition, you are entitled to VAT exemption. Simply show proof – such as a photo or print out of a disability benefit statement – to the business you’re dealing with, and you should receive the item at a pre-VAT rate. We list all of our items with both the pre-VAT and VAT-inclusive prices online and in store, so just ask us how to find out if you qualify for disability VAT exemption.
Energy Bill Grants
Low temperatures and cold, damp weather can exacerbate many physical illnesses, so it’s important to stay warm and comfortable for the sake of your health. If you owe money to a gas or electric company, many have a customer support trust or fund to help more vulnerable service users cover the cost of heating their homes.
Free Prescriptions
In England, prescriptions cost £9.90, and are one of the only areas in which healthcare in the country is not free at the point of use. If you are disabled then you are entitled to free prescriptions. To be eligible, you must have a valid medical exemption certificate, which can be requested through your GP. Your GP should be able to fill out the Medical Exemption (EC92A) form which you can present at your pharmacy to prove your free prescription status. The form also has a section for patients to fill out.
Home Improvement
Home Adaptation Grants (DFG)
All local authorities have Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) for making adaptations to the homes of disabled people. Although all local authorities have differing budgets and frameworks, you can apply if you are a tenant, owner, occupier, or owner-occupant. Under some local authorities you can apply on behalf of a disabled person, for example if you are the homeowner or caregiver.
Adaptations that could make your home more accessible:
- Adding ramps and rails
- Transforming bathrooms into wet rooms
- Adding a lift or stairlift
- Turning downstairs space into a bedroom
- Creating a ‘granny annex’ on ground floor level
- Adding equipment such as hoists for in bedrooms or bathrooms
- Widening doorways or removing walls to make space for mobility aid use around the house, e.g. wheelchairs
- Creating secure storage for mobility aids that get you out for the house, e.g a weatherproof, accessible shed for mobility scooters with outdoor charging nearby
Council Tax
If you require a larger home due to your disability, you may be able to reduce the amount of council tax you pay. The council does this by charging council tax in line with a band tier lower than what the house would normally be classed within.
Ways in which a larger/higher council tax band home could be beneficial to the physically disabled include:
- Larger doorways to accommodate entering and exiting the home with mobility solutions such as wheelchairs
- A bungalow with plenty of floorspace
- A larger home so you can move around more easily – especially if you use mobility aids in the home
- Extra space needed for things such as a wet room, hoist, lift, mobility aid storage, etc.
- An extra bedroom for caregivers to stay over if/when needed
For more information on this, contact your local social services or government body.
FREE Home Assessments
Adapting your home is something we can help with here at Modern Mobility. We provide completely free, no-obligation home assessments to help you find out how we can make your home more accessible, safe and comfortable. From stairlifts and bathroom aids to adjustable beds, riser recliners, and furniture, we promise to deliver 5-star rated, honest home assessments to help you realise your home’s full potential.
To apply for home improvement opportunities such as a DFG, you will likely need to provide a quote or cost breakdown explaining what work exactly you would like to be done to your home and the related costs. Our free home assessments are the first step in this process for many customers. Talk to one of our friendly, helpful team members today to find out more about free home assessments and how we can help.
Fun and Entertainment
Many disabled people aren’t aware that they are entitled to discounts for leisure activities. Although there is no overarching government scheme or grant to cover this, there are many programs and funding opportunities to give disabled people and/or their carers reduced cost or free access to a host of fun things to do!
CEA Card
Available in only participating cinemas, the CEA scheme allows disabled movie-goers a free complimentary ticket for a carer to attend the cinema with them. Developed by the UK Cinema Association, there are dozens of cinemas that take part in the scheme.
There is a cost associated with obtaining a CEA card, and the cards are valid for 12 months from the time you register for you. To use the card, you may be prompted to input a unique user number found on the card when booking tickets online, or you can show the card at the local cinema if buying tickets in person. If you have booked online, we recommend taking the card with you, just in case the cinema asks to see the card when you turn up to view the film you have booked tickets for. You will need to submit proof that you are in receipt of a disability benefit when applying for a card, as well as a photograph on the card, so that cinemas can confirm your identity when you use it.
The CEA Card homepage can be found here, and you can apply for the card or renew your card online or by post. If you are unsure whether or not a cinema is part of the CEA scheme, simply search their name and location with the term ‘CEA’ into a search engine. Most participating cinemas have a web page or online statement making it clear they are part of the scheme.
Subsidised Event Tickets
Some event organisers offer subsidised event tickets for disabled attendees. Whether you’re attending a convention, concert, theatre show, zoo, theme park, or any other type of ticketed event or venue, it is always worth checking with the ticket provider if there are subsidised tickets available for you or a caregiver/companion.
Even if the event does not have a subsidised ticket option, you will at least likely be able to access an early entry option or a ‘fast-track’ accessible queue to enter the event and for any activities inside of the event that require you to queue up. Certain venues – such as some zoos or theme parks – may also provide mobility scooters or wheelchairs that you can book to use, saving you from having to bring your own mobility aids.
Queue Jumping
As mentioned in the subsidised tickets section above, many events will have a separate disabled queue jump, but did you know that some shops operate a similar policy? Certain shops allow disabled customers to jump the queue when waiting to pay at the tills – Primark most notably has a dedicated till for prioritising disabled customers in many locations. Be on the lookout for a separate checkout area, or an end till with the disability wheelchair emblem on. The priority checkout may have a lowered counter for wheelchair users, and will likely be on the end of the till bank to allow disabled customers to more easily access it. If you’re unsure as to whether a shop has this accessibility policy, you can always ask a member of staff at the Customer Service station.
Disability priority tills are an excellent way to avoid the hassle of navigating mobility aids through a queue, and to avoid extra time spent standing up and waiting for ambulatory disabled people. Most stores that have one also allow pregnant customers/those with prams or buggies to use them for these same reasons.
Respite/Cover Care
If you have a caregiver – even one who does not claim benefits for providing consistent care to you – through certain charities they will be able to access respite care for you. Charities such as Carers Link Lancashire and Carers UK are able to help carers make much-needed time for themselves by arranging respite care so that caregivers can have a break, attend appointments, and look after themselves without worrying about the person they care for needing assistance.
Read Carers UK’s help page on taking a break. For our Lancashire-based customers and readers, with Carers Link Lancashire you can register as a carer for free and receive support and guidance, including to organise respite care or access their Carers Caravan in Lakeland for a discounted staycation break.
Holiday and Activity Grants
There are a host of home-grown charities that offer funding and grants to cover the cost of respite holidays for disabled people and their loved ones. Many of these charities operate on a more local scale, and some cater specifically to certain demographics or people with specific types of disabilities. Whether you’re a young person, parent of a disabled child, or an older disabled person, living with an illness is rare or common, physical or neurological, disabling or life-limiting, there is likely a charity that specialises in helping you enjoy a holiday.
Good places to start when looking into grants or charities to help with this include contacting your local hospice, nearby carers charity, or even Facebook groups for disabled holidaymakers.
Education
The Human Rights Act 1998 enshrines the rights of people in the UK to access education. No matter how your disability may impact you, as a UK citizen you have an unequivocal right to education, with laws and structures existing to ensure you can pursue education at whatever level you would like to.
Higher Education Funding
With a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), you can cover the extra costs associated with being a higher education student while disabled. This funding is not a loan and does not need to be repaid, like student loans do. DSA is needs-based, not assessed based on household income.
DSA could help covering the cost of:
- Non-medical helpers (Sign language interpreters, specialist mentors)
- Specialist equipment (Assistive computer software, for example)
- Additional disability-related costs (Extra study materials or a small fridge for medication)
- Costs travelling to and from your university
Most universities will operate disability funds and grants to help their students access the accommodations they need to make education accessible. Every university that offers these grants will have different eligibility rules, so it is best to compile information on what help prospective universities offer as early into your research phase as possible when considering universities and applying for places.
Read more about higher education funding for disabled students.
Reasonable Adjustments in Schools
By law, all school buildings should be accessible to disabled students. Outside of the physical accessibility of the building, the school also has a duty to make what are known as ‘reasonable adjustments’ to accommodate disabled students’ needs. Interpreters, specialist teachers, specialist equipment, and timetable management are all ways in which schools can make reasonable adjustments for students. Failing to make reasonable adjustments, or mistreating and overlooking disabled students who need such adjustments, are classed as discrimination.
More Than Just Rights
Beyond what you are entitled to as part of your rights as a disabled person, there are lots of funds, charities, schemes, programs and opportunities that we encourage you to take advantage of. From getting the education you deserve, to seeing the films you want in cinema, do not be afraid or ashamed of accessing the things you are entitled to if you or someone you care for is living with a disability.
Here to Help
Through every step of your journey to finding the right mobility solutions, we’re here and always happy to help. We do not judge, we do not assume, and we do not upsell. We deliver family values the modern way, and have over 400 glowing 5-star customer ratings as proof.
For friendly, expert advice on all things mobility solutions, home assessments, daily living aids, and even Motability, get in touch or visit us in person at one of our shop locations! You can find us in Blackburn, Chorley, Clitheroe, and Leicester.
