Housing Adaptation Grant Carlow 2026: stairlift and bathroom grants up to €40,000 from Carlow County Council

Last updated: 21 October 2026 · For Carlow County Council

Carlow has a single local authority. Carlow residents can claim up to €40,000 through the State's Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, or up to €8,000 through the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme, same national rules, applied locally. All Carlow residents apply to Carlow County Council.

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Carlow grant, quick facts

Maximum grant: €40,000 (Housing Adaptation) or €8,000 (Mobility Aids)
Income cap: €75,000 (HAG) / €37,500 (Mobility Aids)
Submission method: Post, Housing Department, Carlow County Council, Tullow Civic Offices, Inner Relief Road, Tullow, R93 WP86
Processing time in Carlow: the national target is a decision within six weeks of a complete, valid application. Carlow County Council publishes no time of its own.
OT report: needed for a stairlift or through-floor lift, a fixed hoist, an extension or a big change to how a room is used. If you have none, the council can arrange an assessment after it gets your application. If you pay a private OT and the grant is paid, the council pays back up to €300 of the fee as part of the grant, not on top of it (for the Mobility Aids Grant, only where the council decides the assessment was needed).
Eircodes: R-codes

How to apply in Carlow, step by step

Identify your council: Carlow County Council.
Check whether you need an OT report. You need one for a stairlift or through-floor lift, a fixed hoist, an extension or a big change to how a room is used (for the Mobility Aids Grant, only a stairlift or fixed hoist). Ask your GP or public health nurse for an HSE occupational therapist referral early, or use a private OT. If you pay a private OT and the grant is paid, the council pays back up to €300 of the fee as part of the grant, not on top of it (for the Mobility Aids Grant, only where the council decides the assessment was needed). If you have none, the council can arrange an assessment after it gets your application.
Check what the council wants on quotes. The national form asks for no set number. After approval, the council asks for information from the contractor doing the work, such as a quote and their tax reference number. More than one itemised quote on the same spec is still a sensible way to check the price.
Download the application form from your council's website (links below).
Submit: the form (with the Doctor’s Certificate signed and stamped by your GP, for the Housing Adaptation or Mobility Aids Grant), proof of income for the previous tax year for the owner and their spouse or partner (a Revenue Statement of Liability, not a P60, plus a Department of Social Protection payment statement for payments that are not on it, such as Disability Allowance or Fuel Allowance), proof that Local Property Tax is paid, deferred or exempt for all years, with the owner’s name and the address, and an OT report if the work needs one. If the grant comes to €10,000 or more you will also need tax clearance from Revenue, which the council asks for after approval.
Wait for written approval. The national target is a decision within six weeks of a complete application. Do not start works.
Have works carried out after approval. Submit completion documents to receive payment.

Steps, documents, quotes and OT reports: national application form, national guidelines, December 2024, checked 21 October 2026.

Carlow council application details

Carlow County Council

Send to: Housing Department, Carlow County Council, Tullow Civic Offices, Inner Relief Road, Tullow, Co. Carlow, R93 WP86 (the address printed on the council’s form, not the County Buildings on Athy Road)
Grants lines: 059 9170358 or 059 9136245
Email, for questions: housinggrants@carlowcoco.ie
Grants page: carlow.ie
Covers: All of County Carlow

Addresses, phone numbers and emails checked on Carlow County Council’s own pages and application form on 21 October 2026. Confirm with the council before posting anything.

Carlow County Council grants for pensioners, stairlifts and bathrooms

When people look for Carlow County Council grants for pensioners, or housing grants from Carlow County Council, they usually mean three grants. Carlow County Council runs all three, and all three go in on the same application form.

Housing Aid for Older People: up to €10,700 for homeowners aged 66 or over, for essential repairs and improvements such as heating, windows or rewiring.
Mobility Aids Grant: up to €8,000 for a stairlift, grab rails, a ramp or a level-access shower, for household incomes up to €37,500.
Housing Adaptation Grant: up to €40,000 for bigger work such as a through-floor lift, a downstairs bathroom or an extension, for household incomes up to €75,000.

These are also what people mean by home improvement grants for pensioners, or grants for disabled adaptations, in Carlow. There is no separate HSE stair lift grant in Carlow. The council pays the grant, and the HSE’s part is usually the occupational therapist report.

How long it takes in Carlow

The national guidelines ask councils to decide within six weeks of receiving a fully completed and valid application. That is a target, not a deadline, and the clock starts only when nothing is missing: a council sends back an application that is missing key documents, with a checklist. We found no processing time of its own on Carlow County Council’s pages (checked 21 October 2026). Carlow County Council had 345 applications on hand at 30 September 2026, 136 of them valid and under consideration (Chief Executive’s Report, September 2026).

If the work needs an occupational therapist report (a stairlift or through-floor lift, a fixed hoist, an extension or a big change to how a room is used), ask your GP or public health nurse for the referral early, and ask how long the wait is: we found no official waiting times for these assessments. If you pay a private OT and the grant is paid, the council pays back up to €300 of the fee as part of the grant, not on top of it (for the Mobility Aids Grant, only where the council decides the assessment was needed). Order nothing until the council approves in writing: work started before approval is not paid for.

Getting the application form

The form is on the Carlow County Council website, under housing grants. You can also ask for a paper copy at the council offices or by phone, using the details above. Our guide to the housing adaptation grant application form shows what each section asks for and what to have ready before you start.

What's specific to applying in Carlow

Mostly rural with older housing stock, curved stairlifts more common than straight.
Carlow town has some listed Georgian streets, check before any visible exterior works.

Carlow stairlift coverage by town

Stairlift and home adaptation installers work across all of Carlow. Common service areas include: Carlow town, Tullow, Bagenalstown (Muine Bheag), Borris, Hacketstown, Leighlinbridge.

FAQs, Carlow specifically

Which Carlow council do I apply to for a stairlift grant?

All Carlow residents apply to Carlow County Council, which administers both the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme and the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability.

How long does the Carlow stairlift grant take?

The national guidelines ask councils to decide within six weeks of receiving a fully completed and valid application. Carlow County Council publishes no time of its own. A stairlift also needs an occupational therapist report, so ask your GP for the OT referral early, or use a private OT. If you pay a private OT and the grant is paid, the council pays back up to €300 of the fee as part of the grant, not on top of it (for the Mobility Aids Grant, only where the council decides the assessment was needed).

What is the maximum grant in Carlow?

Up to €40,000 through the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability and up to €8,000 through the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme. Both are means-tested on household income (the owner's and their spouse's income, after the allowed deductions), and the same national thresholds apply.

Can I apply if I rent in Carlow?

Yes, private tenants apply with the property owner's written consent. Local-authority tenants apply directly to the council under a separate housing scheme. Approved Housing Body tenants apply to the council too, with the AHB's written permission.

What if my home is a listed or protected structure?

Internal works (a stairlift on existing stairs) generally don't need planning permission. For visible alterations or for through-floor lifts in protected structures, you may need a Section 57 declaration through the council's Conservation Officer.

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