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THE MOBILITY AIDS HOUSING GRANT SCHEME -FAQ

The Mobility Aids Housing Grant is available to cover a basic suite of works to address mobility problems primarily, but not exclusively, associated with ageing. The grant scheme is managed and administrated via your local county or city council and the funding is distributed from central funds.

At ageinginplace.ie we fully promote the idea of checking you or your family members eligibility for the grant , that is why we created Ireland’s only mobility aids grant eligibility calculator . However it is also important to state that should the requirement for the mobility aid be urgent , it is immportant to know that the grant process , form application through to approval is not straight forward and the data we have would suggest that average waiting times can be up to 6 months .

To help we have created a FAQ for those of you looking to untangle the pros and cons of the mobility aids and housing adaptation schemes .

What can the grant aids housing grant be used for?

The mobility aids housing grant scheme may be paid out , where appropriate. respect of works carried out suchs as :

How much money is available through the mobility aids housing grant ?

The maximum grant is €6000 or 100% of the approved cost of the works , whichever is the lesser . Please note that no works can be carried out until you have received full grant approval . The grant cannot be awarded retrospectively of works carried out.

What is the main criteria use for awarding the mobility aids housing grant?

The grant is available to households whose gross annual household income does not exceed €30,000. Household income is calculated as the annual gross income of all household members over 18 (or over 23 if in full time education) in the previous tax year.

In determining gross household income local authorities shall apply the following disregards:

 

€5,000 for each member of the household aged up to age 18 years;
€5,000 for each member of the household aged between 18 and 23 years and in full time education or engaged in a FAS apprenticeship;
€5,000 where the person for whom the application for grant aid is sought, is being cared for by a relative on a full-time basis;
Child Benefit
Early Childcare Supplement
Family Income Supplement
Domiciliary Care Allowance
Respite Care Grant
Foster Care Grant
Fuel Allowance
Carer’s Benefit / Allowance

How long does if take for grant approval ?

The mobility grant process can take up to 9 months , but the average waiting time across the country is more than 6 months . It is important to point out that the grant is needs as well as income assessed and some grant applicants can be denied on the basis that the dwelling has a toilet downstairs and applications could be advised to move beds downstairs .

I have an urgent need , can i just buy the product now and then apply for the grant retrospectively?

The grant application process is slow . It works well for people who are planning or have foreseen the need . If however, you have an urgent need the grant system is unlikely to be agile enough to meet the requirement for your mobility aid or hosing adaptation . In a large percentage of cases many people will turn to private purchase.

You can check your eligibility for the mobility aids housing grant or the housing adaptation grant on our eligibility calculator  . If you have any questions please contact us