Housing Adaptation Grant
Up to €40,000, and 100% of the cost if your household income is under €37,500.
Last checked August 2026
What it is
To adapt a home so someone can live in it: a stair lift or through-floor lift, grab rails, a fixed track hoist, ramps, a downstairs bathroom or bedroom, or an extension. The maximum rose to €40,000 from December 2024, and it can cover 100% of the cost if household income is under €37,500. If you are terminally ill, or you could come home from hospital or residential care once the work is done, you are PRIORITY 1, the top of three priority levels, so say that clearly on the form. Bigger jobs like a stair lift, a hoist or an extension need an Occupational Therapist report first, but you do not have to pay for that out of your own pocket: your council can arrange the assessment for you after you apply, the HSE community occupational therapy service is free and takes self-referrals (there can be a wait), and if you do use a private OT and your grant is approved, up to €300 comes back to you as part of the grant. Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit paid for the person who needs the grant is not counted in the income test.
Who can get it
- Someone in the household has a physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability
- The home is privately owned, rented with the landlord's written permission and an RTB-registered tenancy, or provided by an approved housing body with their permission
- Gross household income for the previous tax year is €75,000 or less
- The rules changed on 1 December 2024: higher amounts, higher income limits, and 100% of the cost covered at the lowest income band.
- A lot of income is DISREGARDED before they assess you, which catches people out who assume they earn too much. Child Benefit, Working Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance, the Carer's Support Grant, Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits and the Living Alone Increase are all ignored, plus €6,250 for each child under 18 and up to €12,500 towards homecare fees.
- Priority 1 is for people who are terminally ill, or who could come home from hospital or residential care once the work is done. Say that clearly on the form, because it decides where you sit in the queue.
- If your house is less than 12 months old the maximum halves to €20,000.
- Do not start the work before you get approval, or the grant will not be paid.
How to apply
Applications go through Local authority. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 19 August 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
Questions people ask
How much is the Housing Adaptation Grant?
Up to €40,000, or 100% of the cost if that is less. You get the full 100% if gross household income is €37,500 or under, then it tapers: 85% up to €43,750, 75% up to €50,000, 50% up to €62,500 and 30% up to €75,000. Above €75,000 there is no grant.
Do I need an Occupational Therapist report?
Only for the bigger jobs: an extension, a stairlift or through-floor lift, a fixed track hoist, or a major change to how a room is used. Your local authority can arrange the assessment for you, or you can hire an OT yourself and claim up to €300 back as part of the grant.
Can I get it if I rent, or live in social housing?
If you rent privately you can, provided the landlord gives written permission and the tenancy is registered with the RTB. Social housing tenants apply instead to the Disabled Person's Grant Scheme through the same local authority.
What if I am refused?
You can appeal in writing to the local authority within 3 weeks of the decision. Someone who was not involved in the original assessment reviews it, and it can take up to 6 weeks.
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