Grants for older and disabled people
Three local authority grants help people stay in their homes: one to adapt a home for a disability, one for essential repairs for older people, and one for smaller mobility changes.
Quick answer: Your local authority runs three means-tested grants. The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability pays up to €40,000. Housing Aid for Older People pays up to €10,700 for essential repairs for people aged 66 and over. The Mobility Aids Grant pays up to €8,000 for things like grab rails, ramps or an accessible shower. Households under €37,500 a year can get 100% of the cost.
Updated 25 September 2026 · Checked against Citizens Information
| Adaptation grant (disability) | Up to €40,000 (€20,000 for a home under 12 months old). Household income up to €75,000 |
|---|---|
| Housing Aid for Older People | Up to €10,700 for essential repairs. Aged 66+ (younger in hardship). Income up to €75,000 |
| Mobility Aids Grant | Up to €8,000, up to 100% of the cost. Household income under €37,500 |
| Run by | Your local authority, which assesses the application and the work |
| Means test | Gross household income for the previous tax year, after disregards |
| Rules since | 1 December 2024 (higher grants and income limits) |
The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability covers ramps, wheelchair access, accessible bathrooms, stairlifts and through-floor lifts, grab rails, fixed track hoists and extensions such as a downstairs bedroom. Up to €40,000.
Housing Aid for Older People covers repairs so someone aged 66 or over can keep living at home: the roof, electrical wiring, windows and doors, and heating. Up to €10,700.
The Mobility Aids Grant covers basic works such as grab rails, an accessible shower, ramps or a stairlift, for older people and people with disabilities on lower incomes. Up to €8,000.
| Yearly household income | Share of costs | Adaptation grant maximum | Older people’s repairs maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to €37,500 | 100% | €40,000 | €10,700 |
| €37,501 to €43,750 | 85% | €34,000 | €9,095 |
| €43,751 to €50,000 | 75% | €30,000 | €8,025 |
| €50,001 to €62,500 | 50% | €20,000 | €5,350 |
| €62,501 to €75,000 | 30% | €12,000 | €3,210 |
| Over €75,000 | No grant | No grant | No grant |
Source: Citizens Information, checked 25 September 2026. For a home less than 12 months old the adaptation grant maximums are halved. The Mobility Aids Grant is up to €8,000 for household incomes under €37,500.
Income is your household’s gross income for the previous tax year. Several payments are not counted, including Child Benefit, Working Family Payment, Fuel Allowance, the Household Benefits Package, Living Alone Allowance and Carer’s payments for the person who needs the grant. There are also deductions of €6,250 for each child under 18 and each 18 to 23-year-old in full-time education, and for some housing and care costs.
Not sure which grant applies? Ask us.
Chat on WhatsAppSince 1 January 2025, Housing Aid for Older People can’t pay for a new oil or gas boiler. It can still pay to repair an existing boiler, replace radiators, oil tanks or pipework, extend an existing system into an extension, or install electric or biomass heating where suitable.
For a new low-carbon heating system, look at the SEAI heat pump grant, and if you get Fuel Allowance, the free Warmer Homes Scheme.
All three are applied for through your local authority, which decides the application.
Ask your local authority’s housing grants section for the current form (the rules changed on 1 December 2024).
Proof of income for the previous tax year, proof you own the home or have the right to live there, and for the adaptation grant, a medical or occupational therapist assessment where asked.
The council assesses the application and the work. Do not start before you are approved.
The council tells you what it needs from your contractor, such as tax details. Keep every invoice.
The council inspects and pays once it is satisfied with the work.
Free help on WhatsApp
Tell us about your home and what you want to improve. We explain what may apply, help with the paperwork and, if you want, arrange a callback from a registered contractor where we have a partner in your area.
€40,000, or 100% of the cost if lower, for households with an income under €37,500. The share falls to 30% for incomes between €62,501 and €75,000, and there is no grant above €75,000. For a home less than 12 months old the maximum is €20,000.
Up to €10,700, covering up to 100% of the cost including VAT for households under €37,500. It falls to 30% (up to €3,210) for incomes between €62,501 and €75,000.
Up to €8,000, which can cover 100% of the cost, for households with an income under €37,500.
No. Since 1 January 2025 it can’t pay for a new fossil fuel boiler, but it can repair an existing boiler or install electric or biomass heating where suitable.
For the adaptation grant, yes, if you rent privately with your landlord’s permission and the tenancy is registered with the RTB, or rent from an approved housing body. Social housing tenants use a separate council scheme.
Housing Aid for Older People covers costs including VAT. The adaptation and mobility aids grants do not cover VAT, but you may be able to reclaim VAT on aids and appliances from Revenue.
Yes. Ask us on WhatsApp which grant fits your situation and how the income test works. Your local authority makes the decision.
We checked this guide against the official pages below on 25 September 2026. Grant rules change, so the official source always has the final word.