Being able to walk is a blessing. At some point in your life, there might come a time when you are temporarily disabled due to an injured, fractured, or evena leg with issues caused by a stroke. No one would ever want to go through such a phase in life, but sometimes it can’t be avoided. Thankfully, for every problem, there is a solution. There are numerous walking aids availablefor specific injuries and disabilities. Crutches are one of them.
Often used by people with fractured or injured legs,crutches provide the necessary support to balance the body while walking. Crutches transfer your bodyweight from yourlegs to theupper portion ofyour body (your arms and shoulders) so that the pressure on the damaged leg can be reduced.
There are different types of crutches depending on the needs of the user. These include:
Platform crutches
Underarm crutches
Leg support crutches
Forearm crutches
Platform Crutches:
The platform crutch is mostly used by people who are unable to properly grip. The platform crutch has a support for the forearm. This support is usually padded with a soft cushion to prevent any injuries to the forearm. In this way, a platform crutch makesit easy for the user to hold the crutch and balance himself or herself.
Underarm Crutches:
An underarm crutch is the most common crutch. Placed under the armpits, this crutch is often used by people with temporary injuries. The top of the crutch has padding, and the design is simple.
Leg Support Crutches:
This crutch is equipped with a stand which holds the injured leg and keeps it above the ground. Leg support crutches transfer the weight from the lower portion of the leg to the knees or thighs. In this way, the injured portion of the leg doesn’t feel any pressure as it rests upon the leg support of the crutch.
Forearm Crutches:
Forearm crutches are more commonly known as elbow crutches. They are quite similar to platform crutches. However, these crutches come with a ‘cuff’ around the forearm so that the user has to put his arm inside the cuff before holding the crutch. This helps in reducing the pressure on the wrists and maintains a better stance while walking.
Crutches usually come in a pair and are for temporary use only. However, there are some cases where people have to rely on them permanently. At first, it can be difficult using a crutch as awalking aid, but with the passage of time, it becomes as natural as walking.
Aids 4 Mobility uses Royal Mail, Parcel Force, DPD, Hermes, TNT and UPS. We have chosen these couriers based on their reliability and cost-effective delivery solutions. This helps us to keep your order costs as low as possible.
There is FREE DELIVERY* on all orders over £30.00 excluding VAT to all UK mainland addresses and for most non-mainland UK addresses.
Orders up to £30.00 excluding VAT are only £3.95 P and P
If you are looking to have orders delivered outside the UK mainland, please contact us for a quotation. We will do our best to keep the delivery costs as low as we can.
Please note: VAT is removed in the checkout process
In the UK, disabled people do not have to pay VAT when buying certain disability aids and services (This can be claimed by friend or family member purchasing on their behalf). Not everything supplied to disabled people is necessarily zero-rated for VAT. Goods and services on which you do not have to pay VAT are usually known as 'zero-rated' or 'eligible for VAT relief.
Who is eligible for VAT relief?
You must be 'chronically sick or disabled' to qualify for VAT relief. The HMRC comment on this is as follows. A person is 'chronically sick or disabled' if they either:
have a physical or mental impairment that has a long-term and severe effect on their ability to carry out everyday activities;
have a condition that doctors treat as a chronic sickness - like diabetes, for example;
are terminally ill
VAT Relief on our Disability Aids
All products on the Aids for Mobility website are flagged with an option to claim VAT relief during Checkout if it applies to that item. When you add a zero-rated product or service to your Basket, you will be asked to tick a checkbox to confirm that you, or the person for whom you are buying the item, are eligible for VAT Relief.
How VAT relief works
If you are claiming VAT Relief you will be asked to complete an extra few questions during Checkout, where we will ask you to provide brief details of your disability and confirmation that the product is for 'personal or domestic use'. We will keep a record of this declaration along with your order details. You can then buy the product(s) in your Basket at a price that excludes VAT. You will be asked to make this declaration each time you place an order that includes zero-rated products. It is a legal requirement that we record this information for every order, and we apologise for the inconvenience.
More information from HMRC
You can find out more about VAT Relief for disabled people on the HM Revenue and Customs website. If you cannot find the answer to your questions there or would prefer to speak to an adviser, you can call their Helpline on 0845 302 02 03.
The helpline is open from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday. (Closed weekends and bank holidays).
