Common questions
Short answers to questions people often ask. Each answer links to a fuller guide.
Can I get a walk-in shower paid for?
Possibly. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a Disabled Facilities Grant can pay for changes such as a level-access shower if an assessment shows you need it. Adults are usually means-tested in England. In Wales, small and medium grants are not usually means-tested. In Scotland, councils give grants of at least 80% of the approved cost of essential adaptations.
Start by asking your council for an assessment. In Northern Ireland, contact your Health and Social Care Trust.
How do I get an occupational therapist to visit?
Contact adult social care (social work) at your local council and ask for an assessment for equipment or home adaptations. In Northern Ireland, contact the occupational therapy service at your Health and Social Care Trust. In England, the NHS says the needs assessment and the home assessment are free. You can also pay for a private occupational therapist.
Are grab rails free?
In England, aids and minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less must be provided free if a council assessment shows you need them — and the NHS gives grab rails for the bathroom as an example. In Wales, grab rails are a "small" adaptation under the ENABLE scheme. In Northern Ireland, handrails may come from your Health and Social Care Trust after an assessment. In Scotland, ask your council's social work team.
Do I have to pay VAT on a walk-in bath?
If you are disabled or have a long-term illness, and a walk-in bath is fitted because you find it hard to get in and out of a normal bath, the work can be free of VAT. If you are 60 or over, a walk-in bath with a sealable door has VAT at 5% when it is supplied and installed in your home. You sign a declaration for the supplier — HMRC does not issue a certificate.
Do you have to sit in a walk-in bath while it fills and empties?
Yes. The door only opens when the bath is empty, so you get in before it fills and wait for the water to drain before you get out. Living Made Easy warns you may get chilled while you wait, so keep the bathroom warm. Ask the supplier how long their bath takes to fill and empty in your home.
Is a walk-in bath better than a shower?
It depends on what you find hard and what matters to you. A walk-in bath keeps the soak, but there is still a low step and you wait inside while it fills and empties. A level-access shower or wet room has little or no step and more room for a carer, but no soak. Try our Which option suits me? questions, and ask an occupational therapist.
Can I get a grant if I rent my home?
Yes, in many cases. In England, tenants and landlords can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant, and you will need your landlord's permission for the work. If you rent from the council or a housing association, contact your landlord first. In Wales, the Welsh Government says all tenants should contact their landlord.
Will a Disabled Facilities Grant affect my benefits?
GOV.UK says: "A Disabled Facilities Grant will not affect any benefits you get."
Can I start the work before my grant is approved?
No. GOV.UK warns that you might not get any grant if you start work before the council approves your application. In Northern Ireland, nidirect says work must not start until you have approval from the Housing Executive.
A salesperson visited and I signed. Can I cancel?
Usually, yes. If you agreed to the work during a visit to your home, Citizens Advice says you normally have a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel. There are exceptions, for example for some made-to-measure items, and you may have to pay for work you asked to start in the 14 days. Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
What temperature should bath water be?
For vulnerable people in care settings, the Health and Safety Executive says bath water must not go above 44°C. In newly built homes in England, building regulations limit the hot water to a bath to 48°C. A thermostatic mixing valve keeps the temperature steady, and a bath thermometer is a simple extra check.
Do I need building regulations approval for a wet room?
You might. GOV.UK says you may need building regulations approval if you install a bathroom that involves plumbing, or change electrics near a bath or shower. But you do not need to get approval yourself if you use someone registered with a competent person scheme. Ask your installer who will deal with it.
Get an assessment first
An occupational therapist (OT) can visit you at home and recommend what is safe and suitable for you. Ask your council’s adult social care team — in Northern Ireland, your Health and Social Care Trust.