Raising Funds Privately
Please contact us for help and advise on the best techniques to go about raising funds for your Mybility wheelchair
Choosing The Right Lawyer
Warren Collins, Partner at Simpson Millar, Head of Catastrophic Injury Claims – London
Warren’s expertise: Catastrophic Injury and wrongful death claims arising from accidents both in the UK and overseas, Product Liability and Medical Negligence.
‘The best I have come across, Warren’s results are stunning’ – Chris Christou
Access To Work Funding Scheme
Access to Work aims to assist disabled people who are in paid employment or with a job to start by providing practical support and helping to meet additional costs associated with overcoming work related obstacles resulting from disability.
Basic Conditions
In order to receive Access to Work assistance, you will need to satisfy the following basic conditions. You therefore must:
- Be disabled (and the disability is likely to last for 12 months or longer), or be in need of support at a job interview with an employer
- Have a job to start, or be in a job, whether as an employed or self-employed person
- Be in need of support to progress in, or take up work, on a more equal basis with non-disabled colleagues
- Be resident in Great Britain, excluding Northern Ireland, with a job in Great Britain (support can, however, be used to cover the client for overseas visits providing the job is based in the UK).
Type of help provided by Access to Work
Help to pay for:
- Adaptations to Premises and Equipment – Modification of an employer’s or self-employed person’s premises or equipment
- Communication Support at Interview – Help with the costs of employing an interpreter or communicator to accompany a hearing impaired person, where there might be communication difficulties at a job interview with an employer
- Miscellaneous – “One off” items of support that do not fit elsewhere, such as a grant towards the costs of deaf awareness training for close colleagues of a deaf person
- Special Aids and Equipment – Provision of aids and equipment which a non-disabled person doing the same job would not need
- Support Workers – Help with the costs of employing personal support for a job interview, on your journey to and from work or other help including Personal Reader
- Travel to Work – Support when you incur extra costs in travelling to and from work because of your disability.
If you feel that the type of work you do is affected by a disability or health condition that is likely to last for 12 months or more, ask the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Job centre Plus office about Access to Work. They can put you in touch with your closest Access to Work Business Centre to check whether you’re eligible for help.
Funding From Charities
If you are unable to obtain mobility equipment from the statutory services the other options are charities or charitable trusts that provide grants for mobility equipment. You’ll need to check what their guidance is for eligibility and follow their application procedure.
Most charities are not able to cover the cost of maintenance, servicing or insurance costs so you’ll need to think about how else you might fund what is an essential part of looking after your child’s mobility equipment.
Action for Kids: Helping disabled young people find more independence and opportunity through providing equipment and support.
Barnardo’s: Helping the most vulnerable children and young people transform their lives, including tackling the challenges of disability.
Bankers Benevolent Fund: Relieving financial hardship amongst bank employees, their families, children and dependents. Funding to help the sick or disabled to improve the quality of their lives if they cannot obtain basic necessities.
Priority Trust: Giving physically disabled children and young people greater independence by funding mobility equipment and sharing experiences; helping them to participate in society as independent, mature and responsible individuals and achieve their potential.
The Giving Machine: A new way to support Whizz-Kidz and other UK charities. Purchases you make via The Giving Machine” trigger retailer donations to our cause. It costs you nothing!
The Act Foundation: Funding for equipment and modifications for equipment including specialised wheelchairs, other mobility aids and equipment including medical equipment to assist independent living
Caudwell Charitable Trust: Direct donations of treatment, therapy, specialised equipment for children and young people under 18
Cerebra: Grants to help children (aged 16 or younger) who have disabilities because of a brain related condition or injury.
Children Today Charitable Trust: Raising funds to provide special equipment for children and young people with disabilities throughout the UK.
Family Action: Small grants available for medical treatment, services, facilities or equipment (including communication aids) for those who are sick or physically disabled.
Family Fund: Grants for things that make life easier and more enjoyable for the disabled child under 17 and their family.
Variety Club, The Children’s Charity: Working to help improve the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people up to the age of 19 years across the UK. Each year they donate equipment including electric wheelchairs that can change the life of a child in need.
Whizz-Kidz: Essential mobility equipment – powered or manual wheelchairs and recreational equipment such as trikes – that are customised to meet individual children’s needs.