NHS Help with Health Costs

Wigs and fabric supports

NHS wigs and fabric supports supplied through a hospital are free if you live in Scotland or Wales. The current charges in England are:

  • stock modacrylic wig: £80.15
  • partial wig - human hair: £212.35
  • full made-to-order wig - human hair: £310.55
  • abdominal support: £49.05
  • spinal support: £49.05
  • surgical brassiere: £32.50

Certain groups do not have to pay these charges.

Age

You’re entitled to free NHS wigs and fabric supports if you are:

  • under 16
  • under 19 and in full time education

Benefits

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

You are automatically entitled to free NHS wigs and fabric supports if you’re included in an award for income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

If you’re getting this benefit, your partner and any dependants under the age of 20 included in your award are also entitled to free NHS wigs and fabric supports.

Use your award notice as proof that you’re entitled.

Contribution-based benefits

You are not automatically entitled to free NHS wigs and fabric supports if you get:

  • New Style Jobseeker's Allowance
  • New Style Employment and Support Allowance

You could get help through the NHS Low Income Scheme.

Pension Credit

You’re entitled to free NHS wigs and fabric supports if you or your partner get either:

  • Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
  • Pension Credit Guarantee Credit with Savings Credit

Use your award notice as proof that you’re entitled.

If you get Pension Credit Savings Credit on its own, you are not automatically entitled to free NHS wigs and fabric supports.

You could get help through the NHS Low Income Scheme.

Universal Credit

If you get Universal Credit, you might be entitled to help with health costs. This depends on your total take-home pay in your last assessment period.

Find out if Universal Credit entitles you to help with health costs.

Low income (including students and pensioners)

You’re entitled to free NHS wigs and fabric supports if you have applied to the NHS Low Income Scheme and got a certificate for full help with health costs (HC2).

If you have applied to the NHS Low Income Scheme and got a certificate for partial help with health costs (HC3), you may be entitled to help with the cost of your NHS wigs and fabric supports. Your certificate tells you how much you have to pay towards your charges.

If you get War Pension Scheme or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments

You can get free NHS wigs and fabric supports if you have a valid war pension exemption certificate and the wig or fabric support is for your accepted disability.

Refunds

If you pay for NHS wigs or fabric supports and later find out that you’re entitled to help with those costs, you can claim a refund. You must make your refund claim within three months of paying charges.

Download and print the HC5(W) form to claim a refund. The form tells you what to do. There is also a guide to help you complete the form.

HC5(W) wigs and fabric supports refund form (88KB)Guide to help you complete the HC5(W) form (PDF: 1.8MB)

If you are unable to download and print the HC5(W) form, you can telephone: 0300 330 1343 and we will post a form to you.

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