Please don’t buy a stairlift until you have read these 10 points!

1. Don’t be lead to believe that you need a salesman to call to give you a price on a stairlift. As long as you give a basic description of your staircase layout, a rough price can be given over the phone, even on a curved stairlift.
2. Stairlifts are fitted to the tread of the stairs not the wall so there is absolutely no mess when fitting.
3. If you use an independent stairlift company they are not tied to one particular manufacturer. They are therefore free to choose the best product to suit you and your home not what they have to sell.
4. A straight stairlift can be fitted in under a hour. A curved takes around 4 hours to install.
5. When necessary, a straight stairlift can be installed next day and a curved stairlift within 7 days.
6. If you need a stairlift because you have a permanent debilitating condition or illness you do not have to pay VAT. More details on VAT exemption>>
7. If you are over 60, even if you are not VAT exempt you only have to pay 5% VAT on a stairlift. More details on reduced VAT for over 60s >>
8. Stairlifts can be fitted to staircases as narrow as 61 cm (24 inches), when using the Flow 2 Stairlift. Don’t give up if you have been told otherwise.
9. Acorn Stairlifts, the national stairlift company, sell their stairlifts through mobility dealers branded as Brooks. The Brooks stairlift is exactly the same stairlift as the Acorn except for the colour of the panels but you can buy them online for just £1,395.00 or for £1,595.00 if you wish a surveyor to call.
10. A used straight stairlift will cost as little as £995.00 and that includes a fully comprehensive, 12 month warranty.

We hope you have found this information enlightening. If you have already dealt with some of the national companies’ sales representatives you may have found this information very sobering and eye opening!

If we can be of any more assistance please call free on 0800 977 4686 and we will be happy to discuss products and prices without forcing a visit on you.

Paying and Shopping for your stairlift

If you are looking to buy a new stairlift we know that you may have many uncertainties about how and where to buy your stairlift so we have gathered some useful information for you.

If you are new to shopping on the internet it may be worth checking out some guides to how to shop online and how to get the most out of your browsing.

The independent product and services review organisation Which? also has a really useful website which has some tips on how to shop online, including a helpful article on how to protect your ID online.   

Your circumstances may have recently changed and this is why you may need a stairlift to aid your mobility. You may not know how or which benefits you are entitled to. The best site to source this information is from the Department of Work and Pensions and contains links to information on Disability benefits and also Pensions.   

Are you wondering if there is any specific assistance or savings you can make when purchasing your stairlift? At PC Mobility Stairlifts we provide our products and services at the lowest prices possible but there are some further savings which can be made through VAT relief for instance.

Long term illness or disabled? - Apply for zero VAT

If you have been in long term ill health or you are disabled you will not have to pay any VAT on your stairlift, which will mean a saving. Not all goods and services are without VAT however, so if you are looking to purchase other aids or products then it is worth checking this guide from HMRC online.

Did you know that if you use a wheelchair, you don't have to pay VAT on motor vehicles for your own personal or domestic use that are designed or substantially and permanently adapted to enable you to enter and drive.

You also won't have to pay VAT on any charges made for the installation, repair and maintenance for items or spare parts and accessories for use in the home to ensure you can retain your mobility.

This includes services and purchases on things such as ramps, stairlifts and bath lifts.

If you'd like any further information about VAT reductions or exemptions we recommend you call the HMRC helpline for VAT relief for disabled and older people 0845 302 0203. The line is open 8.00am - 5.00pm Monday - Friday and is closed weekends and bank holidays.

Please contact us and send us a completed Declaration form before submitting any payment.

The form can be downloaded here: eligibility declaration disability

Over 60 ? -  Apply for reduced VAT

Did you know that if you are over sixty years of age, you don't have to pay the full VAT rate for stairlifts even if you are not VAT exempt? The VAT rate for certain mobility aids is reduced to 5%.

Whether your stairlift or other mobility aid is in your own home or that of your families home which you share, if you are over 60 you will qualify for the lower VAT bracket- great!

This VAT rate doesn't apply to residential care home mobility device installations, however.

You can qualify for this rate when a mobility product is installed and supplied to you, just purchasing an item doesn't count unfortunately.  

This rule also applies for grab rails, ramps, bath lifts and walk in baths as well as stairlifts.

For more information please visit HMRC's web page.