Big on Health is a UK guide site for families caring for an older parent, run by Ideas in Medicine Limited. This is not medical advice. If someone has fallen and may be badly hurt, call 999. For urgent advice, call NHS 111.

Are the stairs getting harder for Mum or Dad?

A long pause halfway up. Both hands on the rail. A bed quietly moved downstairs. If that sounds familiar, a stairlift may help your parent keep using their whole home. It is a big purchase, so this page gives you the short version: what it usually costs, where help with the cost comes from, and how to get a free survey and quote.

Get a free, no-obligation stairlift quote from Acorn · Read our full stairlift guide

If you ask for a quote through the form on this page, Acorn Stairlifts will call you — Big on Health will not.

What a stairlift usually costs (UK)

• Straight stairlift: typically £2,000 to £4,000 (Which?, 2026 manufacturer figures).
• Curved stairlift: typically £4,500 to £8,000 or more. Which? says each corner roughly doubles the initial price.
• Short-term rental: about £350 to £1,500+ to install, then about £40 to £150+ a month (Which?).

Prices depend on the stairs, so a home survey is the only way to get a real figure. Source: Which?: Buying and installing a stairlift, checked 27 Oct 2026.

Help with the cost

• No VAT for many disabled people. GOV.UK says people who are disabled or have a long-term illness are not charged VAT on qualifying stairlifts and their installation. Being older but not disabled does not count. GOV.UK: VAT relief
• Disabled Facilities Grant (England, Wales, Northern Ireland). A council grant can help pay for a stairlift. Do not start work before it is approved. See our Disabled Facilities Grant guide.
• Scotland. Ask the council’s social work team for a care needs assessment. mygov.scot
• An occupational therapy assessment first. The council can arrange a free home assessment, so you know a stairlift is the right answer before anyone quotes.

Why our stairlift partner is Acorn Stairlifts

We work with Acorn Stairlifts, a UK company that makes and installs its own stairlifts. We have not tested Acorn stairlifts ourselves. Here is what Acorn tells us, and what public records show:

• Companies House lists Acorn Mobility Services Ltd (02593771) as active, incorporated in 1991.
• Acorn says its home survey and quote are free and come with no obligation.
• Acorn says it has more than 65 surveyors, can usually visit within 24 hours, and usually installs within 3 to 5 days.
• Acorn says it is a member of the Trading Standards “Buy With Confidence” scheme.

Which? also reports that Acorn says it will not buy back stairlifts, so ask about rental or reconditioned lifts if you may only need one for a short time. It is still sensible to get two or three quotes. Our full guide has the questions worth asking.

Is a stairlift right for your parent?

A stairlift is not safe for everyone. The person needs to get on and off safely, stay secure while it moves and use the controls. Severe dizziness, uncontrolled movements or confusion can make a stairlift unsuitable (Living Made Easy). An occupational therapist can advise, and there are alternatives: better rails on both sides, a through-floor lift, or living downstairs. Read the full guide.

More guides for families

Everything else we have written for families is still here:

• Care at home: start here — finding a carer, types of care, costs and condition guides
• Personal alarms and telecare · Preventing falls at home · Mobility equipment
• Winter checklist for an older parent · Attendance Allowance · Disabled Facilities Grant
• Finding a private carer in the UK

How we are paid: How we review and how we are paid. There is no shop and no checkout on this site. Ideas in Medicine Limited, trading as Big on Health (SC505248). Contact: enquiries@bigonhealth.com. There is no public telephone number on this site.