Personal Wheelchair Budget advice

JustPete

Hi guys, advice required re PWB for new powerchair. (I'm guessing I am about to touch a nerve with many people)

I've spent 3 years being assessed and trying to find the right seating system & powerchair. I know I've been treated abysmally at a time when a diagnosis of cancer has been at the forefront of my thoughts/efforts. I am no further forward with seating. They have given me a new w/c, but it is not much of an improvement on what I had.

I've been offered £2,200 to purchase a new w/c outright. The chair I am sitting in, provided by the NHS is £6,750.00. I have asked for clarification on the figures - they are correct. I have been offered £1,400 toward seating, but I know this might not touch the surface.

Advice………………….

Rachel_Scope

Hi @JustPete. Sorry no one has been able to offer any advice so far. It's not something I'm familiar with but I'm wondering if our Cerebral Palsy team might be able to help @Richard_Scope @SaraC_Scope @Lucy_Scope.

ColonelBlink

I used the Mobility part of my ADP, to lease one from Motability. I have a Quickie Q700M - with raise and tilt, and there is no way I could have found the money to buy it.

Richard_Scope

Hi @JustPete

I'm a wheelchair user myself, and sadly, it is very rare that PWB comes anywhere near what a wheelchair actually will cost,

Sorry for the long response, but hopefully some of it will be of use to you.

A Personal Wheelchair Budget should not be treated as a fixed “voucher” if it does not meet the person’s assessed clinical, postural and mobility needs. NHS England says the budget should be based on what it would cost the NHS to meet the person’s assessed postural and mobility needs through the local wheelchair service. It should also come with a personalised assessment, care plan, clear information about the amount available, local options, and repair/maintenance responsibilities.

What to do

1. Ask for the assessment and budget calculation in writing

Ask the wheelchair service for:

• a copy of the clinical assessment
• the written prescription/specification
• the Personal Wheelchair Budget amount
• how that amount was calculated
• what chair/equipment they say will meet the assessed needs
• what needs, if any, they say are “lifestyle choice” rather than clinical need

This matters because if the issue is clinical need, it should not simply become “you can top it up yourself”. NHS England guidance says where assessed clinical need includes accessories such as specialist seating or pressure-relieving cushions, the NHS has a duty to provide these either through the Personal Wheelchair Budget or via the commissioned wheelchair service.

2. Request a review or reassessment

Ask for a review if the proposed chair does not meet the person’s real-life needs, for example:

• pain, fatigue or posture problems
• pressure risk
• inability to self-propel safely
• inability to use the chair indoors or outdoors as required
• inability to work, study, parent, volunteer or access the community
• carer strain or unsafe transfers
• the chair not fitting the home, vehicle, workplace or education setting

NHS England’s wheelchair quality framework says assessment should consider physical, functional, environmental and lifestyle needs and preferences, with the person having an equal voice in the assessment. It also says prescription should be based on personalised care and support planning and shared decision-making, with compromises on functionality clearly recorded.

3. Separate “essential need” from “preferred upgrade”

There are usually two different arguments:

If the extra cost is for features needed to meet assessed clinical/postural/mobility needs:
Ask the service to fund or revise the Personal Wheelchair Budget accordingly.

If the NHS option technically meets assessed needs, but the person wants a higher-spec chair or additional non-essential features:
The person may be able to add money through a contribution, charitable funding, social care, education, Access to Work or other sources. NHS England guidance allows contributions, and the quality framework expects services to support access to wider funding streams, including statutory services, Access to Work, voluntary/community sources and self-pay.

4. Look for other funding routes — but do not let this replace NHS responsibility

Possible routes include:

Access to Work, if the chair or features are needed for employment. Access to Work can help disabled people get or stay in work and may fund specialist equipment, travel support, workplace adaptations and other practical support.

Adult social care, if the chair relates to independence, daily living, home access, community access or carer support. A social care needs assessment can consider support such as equipment, adaptations and help at home.

Charitable funding, especially where the gap relates to enhanced independence or quality of life rather than strict NHS clinical criteria.

But the danger is obvious: services may quietly shift an NHS responsibility onto the individual. The question to keep asking is: “Which of my assessed needs will not be met if this feature is not funded?”

Ask about repair, maintenance and ownership before agreeing

If using the budget outside the NHS commissioned service, get clear written answers on:

• who owns the chair
• who repairs it
• what happens if it breaks
• whether there is a warranty
• whether there is a loan chair or interim support
• whether NHS wheelchair services will maintain any part of it

NHS England says repair and maintenance arrangements should be covered, and its quality framework says people should know how to access repairs, receive progress updates, and have appropriate interim support while a chair is being repaired.

6. Escalate if the service will not resolve it

Start with the wheelchair service and ask for a formal review of the assessment/prescription. PALS can help with health-related concerns, resolving problems, and explaining the NHS complaints process.

If it becomes a formal NHS complaint, you can complain either to the service provider or to the commissioner, usually the local Integrated Care Board, but NHS England says you cannot complain to both about the same issue. Complaints should normally be made within 12 months, should be acknowledged within 3 working days, and unresolved complaints can go to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman after the local process is complete.

Useful wording

I am asking for a review of my Personal Wheelchair Budget because the current amount does not appear sufficient to meet my assessed clinical, postural and mobility needs.

Please provide the assessment, prescription, budget calculation and written rationale explaining how the proposed provision will meet my needs safely and sustainably.

If any features have been excluded, please confirm whether the service considers them non-clinical preferences or whether they are accepted as necessary to meet assessed need. If they are necessary, I am asking that the Personal Wheelchair Budget or NHS provision is revised accordingly.