What are Personal Wheelchair Budgets & Wheelchair Vouchers?

Personal wheelchair budgets are there to improve choice and control for patients who use a wheelchair.

Normally, you will have been assessed and there will have been a discussion about your health and well-being needs and the outcomes that you want to achieve with your wheelchair with a clinician. 

All of the details of this assessment will be included on your support plan. 

A Personal Wheelchair Budget allows you a wider choice for you if you need a wheelchair. It is delivered in the form of Wheelchair Vouchers that can be used and then added on to, via the options listed below. 

If you are eligible for NHS provision you will be prescribed an NHS wheelchair; the cost of provision to the NHS is your notional personal wheelchair budget. There will then be a choice of how to use your PWB.

There are a number of budget options within the Personal Wheelchair Budget.

• Firstly, NHS Provision provides a wheelchair and involves no contribution from you, also, repair and maintenance are free of charge and are provided by the approved repair service. 

• An Alternative Wheelchair means that you Upgrade to an alternative model within the NHS range and you simply pay the difference between NHS provision and the model you choose. Again, the repair and maintenance are provided free of charge via the approved repair service.

• A Top Up option is when you upgrade to an alternative model within the NHS range and you then only pay for the difference between NHS provision and the additional features on the model you choose. Unlike the first two options, you have to pay for maintaining the additional features and their replacement.

• Lastly, a Third Party Personal Wheelchair Budget applies when you use your PWB to purchase a wheelchair via an independent provider, who is outside of the NHS. This needs to be in the same category as the one you would be entitled to receive from the NHS. 

Am I eligible for a PWB?

When you have your assessment, you will usually be advised as to which budgets you are eligible for, this will depend on your own personal circumstances and your specific condition or disability and how changeable your needs may be in the short to medium term. 

All of your questions and concerns are discussed at this assessment, so you can make the right decision with all of the information you need.

For more details on Personal Wheelchair Budgets, please see the information provided by the wheelchair service at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust here

Using your Wheelchair Vouchers at Mobility Smart

At Mobility Smart, we make it easier to use your Personal Wheelchair Budgets and for you to receive the best possible value. 

Our extensive range of wheelchairs covers a wide plethora of makes and models, so if you are looking to seek an alternative wheelchair to the one specified within your PWB NHS provision, you can be assured that we will source you one that is within the right category and provides excellent value for money.

Also, if you decided that you wanted top ups to your NHS wheelchair, you can use your PWB to purchase many additional extras that can make your journey more comfortable and fully accessorize your wheelchair to your exact specifications.

When you have your Personal Wheelchair Budget approved, simply get in touch with us, 0800 567 7222 or info@mobilitysmart.co.uk, or arrange to visit our showroom in Garstang, Lancashire and we’ll take it from there. 

Be assured of our expert personal attention at all times.