FAQs on Personal Wheelchair Budget
Can everyone access a Personal Wheelchair Budget?
During your assessment or review, the therapist will discuss with you if a Personal Wheelchair Budget (PWB) would be appropriate. If you are likely to have frequent changes to your wheelchair requirements, a therapist will discuss whether a PWB is the right option for you.
How much money is available for my Personal Wheelchair Budget?
The value you are given is based on your clinical assessment of need. There is no additional budget available for PWBs from the Wheelchair Service. Any additional money needed to fund a higher specification wheelchair or additional features will need to come from another source. For example, self-funding, external grants or charities.
How do I choose a wheelchair with the third party Personal Wheelchair Budget option?
You will need to contact a supplier and give them your wheelchair specification that meets your clinical needs. Any wheelchair you choose must meet this specification as a minimum.
How long do I have to access my Personal Wheelchair Budget ?
Following your assessment and agreement to access your PWB you have 6 months to redeem the budget against your chosen wheelchair. Any request after this time would require re-assessment.
How long does a Personal Wheelchair Budget last?
The PWB will be unique to you and the length of the PWB will be dependent upon your prescription. A typical adult wheelchair lasts 5 years. For children, changes are needed more often as they grow, typically around 3 years.
This may also be the case with some medical conditions where wheelchair needs can change quickly. Once your Personal Wheelchair Budget is handed over, the wheelchair service will not be able to offer you something else if you change your mind; however, you may ask for a review should your clinical needs change.
Can I just go ahead and buy the wheelchair?
The Wheelchair Service needs to approve your choice before purchase. A PWB cannot be issued retrospectively i.e. you cannot buy a wheelchair and then ask for your PWB.
What is not included in the scheme?
Second-hand wheelchairs, scooters, trikes, on-line only products and power packs cannot be bought with either the Third Party or Notional Budget.
How do I get my wheelchair repaired or maintained?
The Wheelchair Service will continue to repair and maintain any wheelchair issued by Newham Wheelchair Service, but this is not the same for the Third Party PWB. With this option you are responsible for arranging and paying for all repairs and maintenance for the duration of the PWB. An amount for this is included in the PWB value, but you will need to make sure the company you obtain the wheelchair from, offer a repair and maintenance package.
Do I need to get insurance?
Public Liability Insurance is strongly recommended if you are using your wheelchair in a public place, particularly a powered wheelchair.
Where to look for a powered chair or scooter for outdoor use only
How to rent or hire a wheelchair for short term use
Where can I find the manufacturer’s manual for a wheelchair?
Where to get funding for children’s equipment and accessories that are not provided by the Wheelchair Service
How to measure for a wheelchair?
Lower leg length measurement guide
Shoulder height measurement guide
Wheelchair use videos
A beginners guide to pushing a manual wheelchair
Top Ten Tip from a wheelchair user
Can I take my wheelchair on holiday?
Yes, you can travel with your wheelchair but it is your responsibility to look after it and obtain travel insurance to cover any costs if things go wrong whilst away. You will need to read the conditions of your wheelchair equipment loan, which would have been given to you when the chair was handed over.
What should I do if my wheelchair equipment is lost or stolen?
Lost and stolen wheelchair equipment should be reported to the police and crime reference details should be obtained. When you get in touch with the Wheelchair Service we will request these details from you. You are responsible for looking after the equipment, including storing it in a secured location. If the equipment has become lost or stolen due to negligence, you will be expected to cover the cost to replace the equipment. The Wheelchair Service will normally replace stolen equipment.
I’m moving home can I take my wheelchair with me?
Yes, you are able to take your wheelchair with you if you are moving to a new property. Please inform us of the new address and new GP details for that area and we will make sure we transfer your notes to the New Wheelchair Service, so they are able to continue to carry out any future repairs or re-assessments. If you are moving outside of the UK you will need to return your equipment to us, as stated in our conditions of loan.
Can I get a scooter/ powered wheelchair for outdoor use?
The NHS are unable to fund the provision of scooters or powered wheelchairs for outdoor use only. You will need to look at privately funding this or obtaining from the Motability Scheme if you receive this benefit.
What is it?
A Personal Wheelchair Budget (PWB) offers choice and control to wheelchair users with relation to what wheelchair you choose. A PWB is an amount of money equivalent to what it would cost the Wheelchair Service to provide you with a wheelchair.
Who is eligible?
People who access Wheelchair Services, whose posture and mobility needs impact their wider health and social care needs, have a legal right to a Personal Wheelchair Budget.
If you are eligible for PWB you can upgrade or choose a different wheelchair. You will have the opportunity to discuss how this works in your assessment appointment. We will support you through this process.
How does it work?
PWB may be offered if a person is eligible for a new or replacement NHS wheelchair. If it is appropriate this will be discussed following an assessment and the person will be offered a choice of 3 options.
Notional Personal Wheelchair Budget This enables you to have a wheelchair, which will meet your identified clinical needs through the standard provision of the Wheelchair Service. The wheelchair remains the property of the Wheelchair Service
Notional Personal Wheelchair Budget with contribution (Top Up) This option allows you, or another agency such as a voluntary/charitable organisation, to contribute to your PWB to either have a higher specification wheelchair or add accessories. The wheelchair will be from within the Wheelchair Service range only and will remain the property of the Wheelchair Service
Third Party Personal Wheelchair Budget (access a Wheelchair from outside the NHS) In discussion with your wheelchair therapist, if it is clinically appropriate, you can choose to use your PWB as a contribution to buying a wheelchair from an independent retailer outside of the NHS. If the wheelchair is more expensive than the amount of your PWB, you will have to meet the cost of this yourself. Other organisations or charities may be able to help you with this.
Waiting for your assessment date
During this time we understand your needs can change or may become urgent. If this happens you can contact us via email. If you do not have access to email do contact us via telephone.
Assessment
We will contact you with a date for your assessment. Your assessment will either take place face to face, or for less complex assessments over the telephone. Depending on your need, your face to face appointment could take place in the wheelchair clinic, but may also be in your home or school.
As part of your assessment we will work with you to understand;
- your needs and your day to day activities
- what is important to you
- what you want your wheelchair to help you to achieve
Telephone or online video assessment
During your telephone or online video assessment we will ask you a series of questions to assess your situation and understand what is important for you. This will help us determine which wheelchair will best suit you. This assessment may take up to an hour.
Face to face assessment
When we meet with you face to face in your home, school or the clinic, we will ask you a series of questions to assess your situation and understand what is important for you. At this time we will also carry out a physical assessment.
Depending on the support you require, this may also involve wheelchair engineers or technicians to help you to get the most suitable chair and accessories for your needs.
This appointment will last between 1 to 2 hours. Sometimes we may need to arrange follow up appointments to make sure your wheelchair is a perfect fit. We will always inform you of the next steps.
Once we have agreed with you what chair will meet your needs, we will place an order for your wheelchair. When your wheelchair is ready to be handed over we will get back in touch with you to arrange this.
Personal Wheelchair Budget (PWB)
You will be allocated a Personal Wheelchair Budget by the NHS. During your assessment we will speak to you about funding available for your wheelchair and together we will agree the most appropriate Personal Wheelchair Budget option for you. There will be time to discuss this at your assessment but you can find out more here.
Ordering your equipment
Depending on the complexity of the wheelchair or equipment you require, the times between placing the order and handover of the wheelchair can vary. Sometimes we have refurbished equipment that can speed up this process.
You may need an off the shelf solution, or you will need different parts (sometimes from different companies) to make up your wheelchair, or a bespoke made to measure solution. These are the main reasons why the period from assessment to handover can vary significantly.
- A standard wheelchair may be provided in 7 to 10 days after assessment.
- More complex equipment can take several weeks.
We will always let you know the timeframe and aim to deliver your equipment as quickly as possible.
Handover of your wheelchair or equipment
The wheelchair is provided on loan from the NHS and therefore will remain the property of the Wheelchair Service. When the wheelchair is handed over to you we will explain the conditions of the loan, as well as making sure you understand how to use it safely.
Wheelchair equipment maintenance, repair, and collection
It’s important that you look after your wheelchair and keep it safe. Click here for some top tips on looking after it. At some point it is likely to need some maintenance and servicing. In order to keep you safe this will need to be carried out by our approved repairer – DGT.
DGT will complete repairs and collect wheelchairs that are no longer required.
If you need a repair please contact DGT directly. We are in touch with DGT on a daily basis and they will feedback to us if they think we need to see you again.
Telephone: 01245 468 834
Email: info@dgt.services
DGT Contact Form
Useful information
- Conditions of the wheelchair equipment loan
- How to keep your wheelchair in tip-top shape
- Video – Introduction To The Wheelchair
- Video – A Beginners Guide To Pushing Manual Wheelchairs
- Video – Top Ten Tips From A Wheelchair User
Who is eligible for the service?
We can assess adults and children for an attendant, self propelling or powered wheelchair if;
- you are registered with a Newham GP
- have a permanent disability that affects your ability to walk and
- require a wheelchair for regular use
Unfortunately, we do not provide attendant wheelchairs for nursing home residents unless you require a wheelchair for fulltime use or are able to self propel.
We cannot provide powered wheelchairs for those who require a powered wheelchairs for only outdoor use.
For assistance in finding other local and national schemes, more information can be found here.
Our Equipment Service can provide a standard wheelchair on short term loan for a couple of weeks. The short term use may be for help getting to appointments and will need to be returned when no longer needed.
You can contact the team on 0203 373 2222 or email info@enabledlivinghealthcare.co.uk
Who can refer?
Usually, your GP or health and social care professional will refer you to us.
If you are already known to our service, you can re-refer by telephone or email. In order to make sure you achieve the best possible outcomes, we may need to contact other professionals involved in your care.
You can contact the team on 0203 373 2222 or email info@enabledlivinghealthcare.co.uk
How to refer?
If you are a GP or health and social care professional, you can complete a new referral here. In order to avoid any delays, please complete the referral form following the guidance notes and with all required information.
Checking your referral
Once we receive your referral, it will be checked by a wheelchair therapist to make sure you are eligible for the service. We will contact you at this stage. The therapist will categorise your case based on your clinical need to make sure you are assessed by a member of the wheelchair team with a set of skills to complete the right assessment for you.
Our Wheelchair and Specialist Seating Service works with you and your family to assess and prescribe the right wheelchair for you. This can be a simple attendant wheelchair to allow you to get out and about, a self-propelling wheelchair or powered wheelchair to maintain an active lifestyle or more complex seating systems to maintain your posture as well as your mobility. We are here to make sure you get the right fit for you and support you to live the life you choose.
Our Wheelchair & Specialist Seating Team is a mix of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and technicians supported by our Customer Service Team. We also work closely with specialist rehabilitation and technical engineers to support assessments and provision of equipment.
What do we do?
We offer assessments for wheelchairs and associated specialist seating equipment for Newham residents of all ages.
Who can receive a wheelchair?
We provide assessments for people who have a permanent disability or medical condition that significantly affects their ability to walk. To be eligible for an assessment you must be registered with a GP in the Borough.
Wheelchair repair and return inquiries
For repairs or to return a wheelchair contact our approved repairers, DGT Services.
@ info@dgt.services
01245 468 834
DGT Contact Us Form
At Enabled Living, our Occupational Therapy team work in partnership with you to help you live the life you choose. We work on behalf of local authority social care teams or social housing providers to ensure you are seen as quickly as possible.
We have a dedicated team, with heaps of experience, that we have handpicked to support you through your journey. Whether this is equipment provision, recommending adaptations, teaching you techniques or other changes, we will always aim to keep you at the centre of our work.
How we work
Usually, we will be sent your details from a partner organisation who have commissioned us to provide this service for you. We will contact you and arrange to visit you at home at your convenience. At this appointment, your Occupational Therapist will talk to you to find out which aspects of your daily life are presenting a challenge. Your Occupational Therapist will then work with you to improve your situation. This could be through:
- finding other ways of carrying out your daily activities
- providing you tailored advice and information
- loaning specialist equipment to support you with your daily activities
- recommending minor adaptations or major adaptations to help you access areas of your home that you may be finding challenging