Stairlift finance options for dealers, 2026.

UK retail finance for stairlifts is dominated by three providers:

• Novuna Consumer Finance (formerly Hitachi): 12 to 60 month terms, 0% to 19.9% APR bands. Widely accepted by mid-size dealers.
• Barclays Partner Finance: similar profile, stronger for higher-ticket curved installs.
• Klarna and Clearpay: short-term instalment (6 to 12 months) for smaller reconditioned units. Less common for curved.
• Dealer own finance: some larger operators self-fund 12-month terms interest-free as a close-rate lever.

Under VAT Notice 701/7, work that is necessary because of a chronic illness or disability is zero-rated. On a £5,000 curved stairlift, that is £1,000 off the bill.

The homeowner self-declares eligibility. The dealer applies the zero-rating on the invoice. This is one of the biggest and most under-used close-rate levers in the UK category.

Disabled Facilities Grants provide means-tested capital up to £30,000 in England (£36,000 Wales, £25,000 NI). Councils typically use their own installer panels for grant work, which does not always suit private dealers.

For dealers, DFG is best treated as: (a) a signal to route grant-only enquiries to the local authority rather than your private-pay diary, and (b) a top-up route where a homeowner has partial DFG coverage and needs private-pay top-up for curved rails or additional adaptations.

The three big US retail finance providers for home-improvement (including stairlifts):

• Synchrony Bank: 12 to 60 month terms, 0% promotional then standard APR. Most common on stairlift dealer contracts.
• Wells Fargo Home Projects: similar profile, strong for higher-ticket curved.
• GreenSky: sophisticated in-home approval flow, on-the-tablet at the appointment.
• Dealer own finance: some larger operators offer 6 or 12 month interest-free as a close-rate lever.

VA Aid & Attendance is a monthly tax-free benefit for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities. Maximum benefit in 2026 is around $2,700 per month for a married veteran, less for singles and survivors.

For stairlift dealers, this benefit often covers a straight install entirely or a curved install substantially. Evaluators trained to open with the VA question consistently close 8 to 15 percentage points higher than those who do not.

State Medicaid HCBS (Home and Community-Based Services) waivers include home-modification pathways in most states. Key programmes by state:

• Florida: SMMC LTC waiver. Home modification benefit up to defined lifetime cap.
• Texas: STAR+PLUS. Home modification benefit.
• Pennsylvania: Community HealthChoices (CHC). Home modification benefit.
• Ohio: MyCare Ohio. Home modification benefit.
• New York: various programmes via managed long-term care plans.
• California: Home and Community-Based Alternatives Waiver.

Newer LTC policies (post-2010) often include a home-modification rider that covers stairlifts and other mobility equipment. Older policies rarely do.

Ask early — "do you or your spouse have a long-term-care insurance policy?" — because if the answer is yes, the funding conversation completely changes.

A few UK vs US and regional patterns worth planning for:

• VAT relief conversation is UK-only.
• VA A&A is US-only.
• HCBS waivers vary heavily by state; some states have year-long waitlists.
• DFG assessments in the UK can take 3 to 6 months; not a fast-track route.
• Retail finance approvals are usually instant on the tablet; use them.

The recurring issues we see:

• Finance offered as a fallback after the customer says price is too high. Should be baseline offer.
• No on-the-tablet approval. Losing 10-15% of close by making the customer wait.
• Not raising VA / HCBS / VAT. Free-standing savings unopened.
• Recommending only one finance provider. Options increase close.