Disabled: Can I Claim Funding for a Cooker?

Q.I am a single leg amputee living independently in my own flat with the revelant care. I am also a three times per week dialysis patient. My cooker is unsuitable for my use and I have been told by my social worker that I can apply for funding for a cooker suitable for disabled use. I have been given a number to ring but it is always engaged. Can you help? Am I eligible for funding?

A.

Your first port of call to find funding to buy a suitable cooker should be your Local Authority social services department. There is likely to be funding available to help you buy this cooker, but the exact allocation of funds like this depends on individual Local Authorities.

You may be able to pay for the cooker using a Disabled Facilities Grant. The Disabled Facilities Grant is funding which is in place to help people with disabilities to adapt their homes and live independently within them. Disabled Facilities Grants are means-tested which means the amount you are entitled to receive is based on your income and any capital that you have.

If you are receiving direct payments from your local authority you can use them to pay for disabled equipment such as this. You could use your direct payments to hire or buy a cooker suitable for your needs.

If you are considering using your direct payments to buy a cooker, always consult your local social services department first as there could be implications regarding who owns the cooker and who is responsible for its maintenance. You also have to ensure that the cost of any item is seen by the Local Authority as 'reasonable'. If the cost is more than they agree to pay you can pay the difference using your own money.

Individual Local Authorities may also have other grants and funds in place to help disabled people pay for independent living equipment such as a cooker so it is worth speaking to them before you look elsewhere.

Alternative Sources of Help

Financial help is also sometimes available from equipment providers themselves and also from charities.

You can research charities on a national, local and specialist basis. For example there are national charities which provide advice and financial support to disabled people and there are also charities who cater for people with specific disabilities. It is worth contacting these charities directly.

VAT Relief

It's also worth noting that those with disabilities don't have to pay VAT on equipment which has been designed solely for disabled people, or which has been adapted to meet their needs as a disabled person.

Products which are eligible for this VAT relief are referred to as 'zero rated'. Before you buy the cooker, or any other product designed for disabled people, check that the item is 'zero rated'. You may have to sign a form confirming that you are disabled and that the item is for your personal use, rather than for commercial or business purposes.

You don't have to reclaim the VAT as it is deducted at the point of purchase.