Is there help available to install chairlift or other home adaptations?

Are there any aids to help me buy a stairlift?

The main aid which can help towards home adaptations such as a stairlift is MaPrimeAdapt’. It is also suitable, for example, for bathroom installations such as handrails, movement-sensor lighting, raised toilets, access ramps, or widening of doors.

This is for people aged over 70, or over 60 and with a loss of autonomy which has been assessed with a ‘GIR’ rating, or who have a disability assessed at 50% or more, or who receive disability benefits.

To benefit, you must have a ‘modest’ income, based on the revenu fiscal de référence on your last income tax bill.

As of 2024’s bills, your income must not exceed €22,015 for a single person or €31,197 for a couple, outside Ile-de-France. You can obtain more information about this from France Rénov’ centres. 

Click Je trouve un conseiller France Rénov’ to find an in-person centre near you, or to chat online. There is also a free phone line on 0808 800 700. 

Otherwise, you can apply directly. The aid can be up to 50% (or 70% if your income is deemed ‘very modest’) of work costing up to €22,000.

If your income is too high for this aid, but still deemed to be at an ‘intermediary’ level, you can qualify instead for a 25% income tax credit towards such work, if you are aged 60 or more and with a GIR rating of 1-4 or a 50% or more disability. 

This can apply within a ceiling of €5,000 for a single person or double for a couple.

There is also reduced VAT rate of 5.5% for stairlifts for an elderly or disabled person and income-assessed grants. 

For more information about help towards such installations, including any local authority grants in your area, speak to your mairie, or the maison départementale des personnes handicapées (MDPH). The departmental council and family benefits body Caf also offer various aids towards living autonomously.