If, after a wheelchair assessment, you are eligible to receive a wheelchair from the NHS, you will receive a Personal Wheelchair Budget.
This is a “virtual” amount of money allocated to meet your assessed needs.
Whilst meeting your assessed needs, the budget is designed to give you more choice over your wheelchair, as well as offering specific requirements that you identify as being important to you.
You can decide to use your Personal Wheelchair Budget in any of the following ways:
1. Notional Personal Wheelchair Budget – no cost option
Following assessment, you can use your PWB within the NHS service. This will mean accepting the NHS wheelchair prescribed for you. It will be supplied, repaired and maintained by the NHS at no cost to you.
It remains the property of the NHS and must be returned when no longer needed.
2. Notional Personal Wheelchair Budget with contribution
Following assessment, you can use your PWB within the NHS service and add a contribution in order to upgrade or add extra features to the wheelchair prescribed for you.
The wheelchair therapy team will offer you advice and support to do this during your assessment.
Your identified personal wheelchair budget is how much it would cost the NHS to provide a wheelchair to meet your clinical needs and you pay the difference between this amount and the upgrades you have chosen. Another agency or organisation may be able to support you to do this.
With this option, the wheelchair remains the property of the NHS and will be repaired and maintained free of charge. You will, however, be responsible for the repair and replacement of the additional features you have chosen.
You are required to return the wheelchair when it is no longer needed.
3. Third Party Personal Wheelchair Budget
Following assessment, you can use your PWB to access a wheelchair of your choice from an independent supplier outside of the NHS.
This option is only available if the wheelchair therapy team agree that it is clinically appropriate for you to do this.
Your identified personal wheelchair budget is how much it would cost the NHS to provide a wheelchair to meet your clinical needs, plus an additional contribution towards the cost of repair and maintenance of your chosen wheelchair.
Following assessment, you will receive details of your PWB amount and a copy of your agreed prescription to meet your needs.
If you chose a wheelchair that costs more than the amount of your personal wheelchair budget, then you will have to pay these additional costs. Another agency or organisation could support you with this.
With this option, you will own the wheelchair and will be responsible for all its repairs and maintenance. Your chosen wheelchair is expected to meet your needs for at least five years/ three years for children, unless your needs significantly change.
You will have six months to choose and order your wheelchair. You are advised not to make any payment to your chosen supplier before the order has been checked.
Your chosen supplier will then invoice Salford Equipment Services.
The wheelchair team will check that your wheelchair is clinically suitable for you before agreeing payment to the supplier.
You will not be entitled to claim a PWB retrospectively if you purchase a wheelchair privately.
Option 1: Personal Wheelchair budget
What is provided? An NHS wheelchair will be provided
Cost? No cost to you
Repairs - all repairs are carried out by the NHS
Option 2: Personal wheelchair budget with contribution
What is provided? An NHS wheelchair is provided but with added upgrades chosen by you
Cost? No cost for the NHS provided wheelchair but the additional upgrade costs are paid for by you
Repairs - all repairs are caried out for the items provided by the NHS. Any upgrade repairs will be at your cost
Option 3: Third Party personal wheelchair budget
What is provided? Following assessment, you identify a wheelchair from the retail market which suits your assessed needs
Cost? You will receive a wheelchair budget which is calculated to the value of the wheelchair that would have been issued to you by the NHS. This includes a maintenance contribution. Any costs over this are to be paid for by you.
Repairs - all repairs are your responsibility. The chair is expected to last you for 5 years (3 years for children)
What to expect at your assessment:
Before your appointment, we recommend that you think about what is important to you and how a wheelchair will make a difference to your life.
If you are eligible to receive a wheelchair from the NHS the wheelchair team will:
- Discuss and develop your personal wheelchair support plan with you
- Carry out a clinical assessment to establish your needs and discuss how a wheelchair will help meet your goals
- Provide you with details of your personal wheelchair budget and assist you in deciding how you want to use your PWB
- Once your personal wheelchair budget is handed over and the equipment has been purchased, the wheelchair service will not be able to offer you anything else if you change your mind. However, you can ask for a review if your needs have changed
If you have any questions please contact us at:
Salford Wheelchair Service
Burrows House
Wardley Industrial Estate
Walkden
M28 2LY
Adult Centre of Contact
0161 206 0604 or email salford.socialservices@nca.nhs.uk
Date of Next Review: February 2025
Date of Next Review: February 2027
Ref No: PI_ASC_1174 (Salford)