There are many reasons why a home may need to be made more accessible, but sadly it can be incredibly costly.

Fortunately, there is some financial aid available to make these essential modifications and renovations.

The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability is a grant you can apply for if you have a physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability. It provides funding so you can enhance how you enter and move around your home.

The grant is up to €40,000 - here's all the information you need and how to apply.

The grant is available to people with a gross household income of up to €75,000 a year.

Your local authority will assess your total household to determine:

  • If you qualify for the grant
  • The level of funding you will receive

Your home qualifies if it is:

  • Privately owned (you or your family own it)
  • Rented from a landlord and you have the landlord's permission to make the changes. (The tenancy must also be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board).
  • Provided by an approved housing body (AHB). You must have the AHB's permission to make the changes.
  • A communal residence (accommodation where people live together in group homes)

You must live in the property as your main home when the work is completed.

You can use this grant to make your home more accessible by:

  • Adding ramps or other ways to access your home
  • Adding space for wheelchair access
  • Expanding your home to create additional space, such as incorporating a ground-floor bedroom
  • Incorporating accessible bathroom facilities, like an accessible shower or a toilet on the ground floor
  • Fitting a stairlift or a through-floor lift
  • Installation of grab rails
  • Setting up a fixed track hoist. This is a ceiling or wall-mounted track with a sling attached, enabling you to be mechanically lifted and moved along the track. (Please note, the grant does not cover the maintenance or servicing of the hoist, or any training costs.)

The grant may also cover other works deemed necessary by the local authority to make your home more suitable for someone with a disability.

The maximum grant available is €40,000 or 100% of the cost of the work, whichever is less.

The amount you receive depends on your household income from the previous tax year. Certain disregards and deductions can reduce the amount of household income that your local authority considers.

If your household income is less than €37,500, you may receive 100% of the cost of the works, up to the maximum grant amount of €40,000.

For houses less than 12 months old, the maximum grant available is €20,000.

As household income increases, the percentage of costs covered by the grant gradually reduces from 100% to 30%. Therefore, if your household income ranges between €62,501 and €75,000, the maximum grant you can qualify for is 30% of the costs.

If your gross annual household income exceeds €75,000, you will not be eligible for a grant.

Download an application form (pdf) or contact your local authority and ask for one to be posted to you. Make sure you get an updated application from your local authority that includes the changes to the scheme that apply from 1 December 2024.

The form has a section that must be completed and signed by a doctor.

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