Personal wheelchair budgets

What is a personal wheelchair budget?

A personal wheelchair budget (PWB) is a way in which you can get the wheelchair you want with help from the NHS. It allows you to put money towards the cost for features which are more than your health need but might make the rest of your life a little easier. There are three different types of personal wheelchair budget.

Notional

Everyone will be offered a notional personal wheelchair budget, who has had a personal assessment for a wheelchair, if you are eligible for a wheelchair from the NHS. You do not need to pay any money for this, and your wheelchair will always be taken care of by the NHS.

Notional with contribution

This type of personal wheelchair budget means you can add money towards a wheelchair provided by the NHS. This might be because you want a certain feature or a different wheelchair from the normal NHS range. The NHS will always own your wheelchair and will provide repairs for all the parts which are normal NHS parts. You might need to pay extra for repairs to parts which are not normal NHS parts. Your wheelchair will always be made safe for you.

Third party

By using the third party scheme you will not be able to use the NHS wheelchair service again unless your needs substantially change. From your assessment you will be provided with a value which is what a wheelchair to meet your NHS needs would cost us. You can then take this to a recognised wheelchair supplier, and they reduce the cost of what you buy from them by the amount we will spend. You will own this wheelchair and will need to look after it. We will give you some money each year towards the cost of looking after your wheelchair. This will be similar to the amount we would expect to pay if we owned the wheelchair, we would have given you. You will be told how much this is when your personal wheelchair budget value is provided.

The company you buy your wheelchair from will send us a bill for the amount we said we would give you.

Who can have a personal wheelchair budget?

Anyone who would normally be able to have an NHS wheelchair can have a personal wheelchair budget. Different people may get different things under their personal wheelchair budget, but there is a scheme that suits most people. If you have a health condition where your needs change quickly, for example some forms of muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis or motor neuron disease, we may give you a few less choices so that you continue to have direct support of the wheelchair service team.

How are personal wheelchair budgets different from vouchers?

Personal wheelchair budgets and vouchers are designed to meet the same goal, which is for you to have more choice in how you receive a wheelchair. Personal wheelchair budgets are designed to allow you to ask for money from other services to help you meet your wider health and wellbeing needs.

How can I get funds for a personal wheelchair budget?

The wheelchair service will assess your initial needs and let you know what their contribution would be. You may want to ask other services to help with costs. You will need to show them that the money you have asked for will help them meet your wider goals that they have to help you meet. The services which have contributed to personal wheelchair budget across the country include Access to Work, Disabled Students Grants, some local authorities and some education departments. It is up to each service if, and how much, they might be able to help with the cost. You can also ask for money from charity or use your own money to top up for features you wouldn’t usually get from the NHS.

What can I change on my wheelchair with personal wheelchair budget?

All types of wheelchairs are eligible for personal wheelchair budget. You will not be able to change between core types though. If you have an NHS need for a manual wheelchair we will only contribute to the cost of a manual wheelchair. If you need an NHS powered wheelchair we will only contribute to the cost of powered mobility. Please speak to your therapist if you have any ideas on how we can help you to meet your needs. You can also pay for extra features. You might want a special feature like a riser on a powered wheelchair or very lightweight wheels on a manual wheelchair. You may be able to change from a standard wheelchair to a lightweight wheelchair. If you would like to look into this then ask your therapist because not all wheelchairs are suitable for all people.

Can I claim money back on a wheelchair I’ve already bought?

No, any wheelchair purchase must be agreed after the wheelchair service has completed an assessment of your needs. Before you agree to buy a wheelchair, the prescription will need to be sent to the therapist who assessed your needs for approval. If they think the wheelchair won’t meet your needs, they may decline the request or offer an alternative idea which you can then take back to the supplier.

Can I choose a different cushion or backrest?

Pressure and postural support remain the responsibility of the NHS no matter which personal wheelchair budget choice you make. We may be able to arrange a different cushion or backrest as a notional contribution personal wheelchair budget, but we will not do this as a third party personal wheelchair budget.

Do I have to choose a specific supplier?

We have a list of approved suppliers, but this is not everybody you could buy from. If you have another company, you would like to buy from then we might be able to add them to our list. You should ask them to get in touch with us to arrange this.

How long will my personal wheelchair budget last?

We expect your wheelchair to last at least five years. If your wheelchair still meets your needs after five years, we will continue to offer you maintenance. We will only change it when it is no longer economical to repair or no longer meets your NHS needs. If you have not looked after your wheelchair, we may not let you have another third party personal wheelchair budget.

How long do I have to buy a wheelchair?

Your NHS assessment can only be used for six months. If your needs change before you buy a wheelchair, then let us know and we will update your assessment. If you leave it longer than six months, you will need a new assessment and will be added to a waiting list for an appointment.

Is there anything I can’t buy?

A personal wheelchair budget can only be used for a new wheelchair. This means we can’t put money towards a second hand wheelchair or to pay for a scooter for example.

Do I need insurance?

A wheelchair is an expensive purchase and helps you to live your life. If you think you would find it difficult to manage without a wheelchair, we encourage you to look at insurance. We will not replace a lost or stolen wheelchair. We cannot provide any recommendations for insurers but may be able to give you a list of some. There may be other insurers however we do not know how good any of the insurers on the list are so cannot recommend any single company.

Page last reviewed: August 12, 2025
Next review due: August 12, 2026