Powerchairs & electric wheelchairs

Powerchair insurance, same specialists

Q: Do I need insurance for an electric wheelchair?

No. Powered wheelchairs follow the same rules as mobility scooters: insurance isn't required for Class 2 or Class 3 vehicles, though GOV.UK recommends it.

Q: Which insurers cover powerchairs?

All the specialist mobility insurers we checked cover powered wheelchairs: Surewise, Fish Insurance, ETA, Mark Bates, CareCo Protect + Go, Adrian Flux and First Senior.

Q: Can I insure a manual wheelchair?

Yes. Fish Insurance includes manual wheelchair cover with its mobility policies, up to £1,000 on Lite and £2,000 on Standard and Extra. Mark Bates and Surewise also cover manual wheelchairs, and Adrian Flux covers manual chairs with powered add-ons.

Q: Is a powerchair covered when I fly?

Many policies include cover abroad: Surewise for 90 days a year, Fish Extra for 90 days and Fish Lite and Standard for 21 days, Adrian Flux for 60 days. Fish also includes baggage handler cover. Check liability limits outside the UK.

Electric wheelchairs are insured by the same specialists as mobility scooters, on the same terms. The differences that matter are value limits, new-for-old rules and cover when you travel.

Updated 6 October 2026 · Figures sourced and linked

Compare powerchair cover →

7Specialist providers that cover powered wheelchairsSource: provider pages

£30kHighest equipment value Mark Bates policies coverSource: Mark Bates

90daysCover abroad a year with Surewise and Fish ExtraSource: Surewise

NoLegal requirement to insure a Class 2 or 3 powerchairSource: GOV.UK, accessed October 2026

Compare

Set your powerchair's value

Powerchairs often cost more than scooters, so value limits matter: Fish's £38 Lite tier stops at £1,500, CareCo at £7,000, ETA at £10,000; Mark Bates covers equipment up to £30,000.

Your scooter's value£5,000

Public liability at least

Breakdown recovery

Scooter class

8 of 9 policies match

Doesn't match: Not for scooters over £1,500

Published prices and limits from each provider's own website and policy documents, checked 6 October 2026. Prices are "from" prices: your quote depends on your scooter, its value and the cover you choose. "Ask" under Class 3 means the provider doesn't state it publicly, not that it's excluded. Trustpilot scores cover the whole company, not just scooter policies.

What's different

Four things to check for a powerchair

New-for-old

Mark Bates replaces new if bought new and under 2 years (Standard) or 3 years (Plus); First Senior replaces powerchairs under 3 years old that can't be repaired. Older chairs get market value.

Air travel

Fish includes baggage handler cover. Check your policy's days abroad and whether liability applies outside the UK.

Class and road use

Powerchairs are Class 2 (4mph) or Class 3 (8mph) like scooters. A Class 3 chair must be registered on form V55/MV. Check the rules.

VAT on the chair itself

Eligible disabled buyers can get powered wheelchairs free of VAT under HMRC Notice 701/7. Insure for the price you'd actually pay to replace it.

Questions

Straight answers

Do I need insurance for an electric wheelchair?

No. Powered wheelchairs follow the same rules as scooters: insurance isn't required for Class 2 or Class 3, though GOV.UK recommends it. A Class 3 powerchair must be registered with DVLA.

Which insurers cover powerchairs?

Every specialist we checked: Surewise, Fish, ETA, Mark Bates, CareCo Protect + Go, Adrian Flux and First Senior. Compare them above.

Can I insure a manual wheelchair?

Yes. Fish includes manual wheelchair cover (£1,000 on Lite, £2,000 on Standard and Extra). Mark Bates and Surewise also cover them, and Adrian Flux covers manual chairs with powered add-ons.

Is a powerchair covered when I fly?

Often. Surewise covers 90 days a year abroad, Fish Extra 90 days (Lite and Standard 21), Adrian Flux 60 days, and Fish includes baggage handler cover. ETA's liability and breakdown only apply in Great Britain.

Sources

Where the numbers come from

We use primary sources only: insurers' own product pages and policy documents, regulators and government. Figures were checked on 6 October 2026. Spot something out of date? The source link is the fastest way to check.

GOV.UK. Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs: vehicle tax, registration and insurance. accessed October 2026.
GOV.UK. Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs: the rules — Class 2 and Class 3. accessed October 2026.
DVLA. Apply for first vehicle tax and registration of a mobility vehicle (V55/MV). updated 28 March 2024.
HM Revenue & Customs. VAT Notice 701/7: reliefs from VAT for disabled and older people. accessed October 2026.
Surewise. Mobility Scooter Insurance: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.
Fish Insurance. Mobility Scooter Lite: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.
Fish Insurance. Mobility Scooter Extra: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.
ETA. Mobility Scooter Insurance: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.
Mark Bates Ltd. Scooter & Powerchair Standard: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.
Mark Bates Ltd. Scooter & Powerchair Plus: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.
CareCo Protect + Go. Essentials / Enhanced: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.
Adrian Flux. Mobility Scooter Insurance: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.
First Senior. Powerchair, Wheelchair & Scooter Insurance: product page and policy documents. Checked 6 October 2026.

Keep going

Compare providers →Nine policies side by side, filtered to your scooter.How much it costs →Published starting prices, and which apply to your scooter's value.Second-hand scooters →Insuring a used scooter: market value vs new-for-old.Breakdown cover →Who recovers you, how far, and why the AA and RAC won't.