How to apply for a wheelchair grant for your child in the UK

Written by Andy Hutton, founder of Theo's Fight · Dad to Theo, aged 8, cerebral palsy

Let me be honest with you from the start. Navigating the funding system for your child's wheelchair can be exhausting, confusing, and emotional — and nobody hands you a map when you walk out of that first appointment. This guide won't promise you a wheelchair by next Tuesday. But what it might do is give you a better picture of how the process works and how to give your application the best possible chance.

We built Theo's Fight because of our son Theo. He has cerebral palsy and is a full time wheelchair user. We know this world. And we want to make it a little less overwhelming for you.

First — the NHS route

Before looking at charitable grants, you should know that the NHS has a duty to provide wheelchairs for children who need them clinically. Your starting point should always be a referral from your GP or paediatrician to your local wheelchair service.

The honest truth? NHS wheelchairs are functional but often too basic. If your child needs a more specialised chair — like Theo does — one that supports their specific postural needs, or simply gives them more independence and dignity — you may find yourself looking elsewhere for funding. That's where grants come in.

What grants are available?

There are hundreds of UK charitable funds that provide grants for children's wheelchairs. The amounts can vary enormously — from a few hundred pounds to several thousand. Some of the most well known include Family Fund, Newlife Foundation, and Cerebral Palsy UK — but the right grant for your child depends on their diagnosis, age, location and specific needs.

Rather than listing specific amounts here — which change regularly and could be out of date by the time you read this — we'd always recommend searching directly. That's exactly what Theo's Fight does. Pop in your child's details and we'll search for grants that actually match your situation. Free, always.

The application — where some families get stuck

Finding the grant is only half the battle. The application letter is where families often struggle most. Not because they don't know their child — nobody knows your child better than you do. But because translating that love and knowledge into a compelling, dignified application letter is a skill nobody teaches you.

A few things that genuinely help:

You shouldn't have to be an expert in grant applications on top of everything else you're already doing. That's why we built Theo's Fight — to take as much of this weight off your shoulders as we possibly can.

You've got this. 💙