Home Modifications for People with Limited Mobility

What May Be Modified?

The program helps finance modifications inside the home and along the access route to it. Depending on the professional assessment and committee approval, modifications may include widening doorways, adapting a bathroom or kitchen, a ramp, accessible path, handrails, platform lift, or elevator.

Assistance does not necessarily cover the contractor's full quoted cost. It may be provided as a loan or a combination of a grant and a loan. The grant share is affected, among other things, by household composition, income, and the program's earning-capacity rules.

Who May Qualify?

The program may apply to a person with a permanent mobility or functional limitation caused by an illness or motor impairment, as well as a person with a progressive illness who is wheelchair-dependent or uses walking aids. A person injured at work, in a hostile action, or in a motor-vehicle accident who did not receive home-modification assistance or compensation from the responsible agency may also be evaluated if the program's other requirements are met.

As a rule, the program excludes people who own more than one home, live in a privately rented home under a month-to-month arrangement, seek assistance for an addition or self-construction, completed the modification before filing without a later worsening of the condition, or received parallel funding. A repeat application may be considered because of a worsening condition or following a job-related move to another city when the committee finds the move necessary and the new home unsuitable for the person's needs.

Why Does the Professional Assessment Come Before the Quote?

An occupational therapist visits the home, assesses the need, and prepares a plan. Quotes are obtained and permits reviewed based on that plan. The contractor performs the work but does not decide which modifications will be approved or the amount of assistance.

Financial thresholds, contractor-registration requirements, and the approved completion period are updated from time to time. Review the service page and the specific approval before making any commitment to a contractor.

How the process works

1. 01

   Obtain a referral from a primary care physician or nurse for occupational therapy.

2. 02

   An occupational therapist visits the home and prepares an assessment and modification plan.

3. 03

   Obtain an itemized quote and building permits or local-authority approvals when required.

4. 04

   Submit the application for review by the joint Ministry of Construction and Housing and Ministry of Health committee.

5. 05

   Begin work only after approval. A professional inspection is then conducted and funding is completed according to the decision.

Documents you may need

• A signed form containing medical and functional information.
• The occupational therapist's report and modification plan.
• An itemized quote. Installation of a platform lift or elevator requires two quotes from companies that hold an Israeli Standards Mark.
• A municipal approval or building permit when required by the nature of the work.
• Income statements and household-composition records.
• Documents showing rights in the home and bank-account details.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Beginning work or purchasing equipment before filing and receiving approval.
• Submitting a general quote that does not itemize the planned work.
• Selecting a contractor who does not meet the program's current requirements.
• Performing work that requires a permit without obtaining it in advance.
• Failing to disclose another funding source or exceeding the completion period stated in the approval.