Help for Heroes

Veterans' Mobility Fund

Grants to individual veterans for mobility equipment not normally available through the NHS — specialist wheelchairs, mobility scooters, orthotics such as splints and braces, and in some cases car adaptations. Administered by Help for Heroes with Blesma and funded by government through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. This is a grant to a person, not to an organisation. It reopened after a pause to improve the application process and will remain open until the funding is exhausted.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: Amount not specified; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Veterans with a physical disability resulting from illness or injury sustained during service
To be eligible you must either have a service-attributable condition which is linked to the equipment you need, or receive — or be applying for — a War Pension or appropriate Armed Forces Compensation
Clinical recommendations are only accepted from certified Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Rehabilitation Specialists or Prosthetists/Orthotists, never from a GP; if you are not working with one, the fund can arrange and pay for an Occupational Therapist referral
You may apply as many times as you want for mobility-related injuries, and may make separate applications for multiple service-attributable conditions; each case is reviewed individually, and you can reapply if your need changes, for example if you begin to deteriorate clinically
If you are applying for a wheelchair you are asked first to contact your local NHS Wheelchair Service about a Personal Wheelchair Budget, which can be combined with a VMF contribution
You must insure any equipment provided, you are responsible for servicing and maintaining it, and you may not gift or sell it — if you no longer need it you must tell the team

What it funds

Mobility equipment which is not provided through the NHS, such as specialist wheelchairs and mobility scooters
Orthotics, including splints and braces
In some cases car adaptations, where a complete report of assessment and recommendations has been carried out by a suitably qualified practitioner
Where an applicant is not already working with a suitable clinician, the fund will pay for a referral to an Occupational Therapist

What it will not fund

Car leases
Car loans
Home adaptations, including structural house adaptations
Medical or surgical procedures
Ongoing clinical treatment
Hot tubs, saunas and hydro pools
Extended warranties and guarantees beyond the manufacturer's — you may buy these at your own expense
Repair or replacement of equipment that is lost, stolen or damaged where it was not insured
Quotes from suppliers that are not on the VMF approved supplier list
Assessments completed by a GP — only certified Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Rehabilitation Specialists or Prosthetists/Orthotists are accepted

if what you need sits outside the fund, the team asks you to email them to discuss other support or signposting

How to apply

If applying for a wheelchair, contact your local NHS wheelchair service first to check whether you are eligible for a Personal Wheelchair Budget, which can be put towards the cost alongside a VMF grant
Arrange an assessment with a certified Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Rehabilitation Specialist or Prosthetist/Orthotist — contact the VMF team if you do not have access to one and they can arrange a referral the fund will pay for
Trial the recommended equipment as part of your assessment, to confirm it is safe and suitable
Obtain quotes for the recommended equipment from suppliers on the VMF approved supplier list
Submit the Stage 1 online eligibility application through the My Recovery portal
If found eligible, submit the Stage 2 full application when invited

if you cannot complete an online form, call the Helpline on 0300 303 9888 to discuss alternative options, including a postal application

to appeal an outcome, email the VMF team

Have ready

A copy of your War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme award document — if you do not have one, request it from Veterans UK on 0808 191 4218 and email it to the VMF team to support your Stage 1 application
A clinical assessment and recommendation from a certified Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Rehabilitation Specialist or Prosthetist/Orthotist
Quotes for the recommended equipment from VMF approved suppliers
For car adaptations, a complete report of assessment and recommendations carried out by a suitably qualified practitioner

you must insure any equipment awarded, and the fund cannot repair or replace uninsured equipment that is lost, stolen or damaged

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