HSE Allowances
Hair Loss & Breast Care

The HSE allowance for wigs & breast care products is available every year to Irish residents. If you have a cancer diagnosis or have had a mastectomy you are entitled to funding towards your wig or hair piece, and your breast care products. If you have hair loss or hair thinning caused by alopecia, you may be entitled to claim from the HSE if you have a valid medical card.

In late December 2024, the HSE implemented a new standardised allowance for wigs and breast care products, designed to provide fair support for all cancer patients across Ireland. Previously, access to these allowances was restricted by address and limited to medical card holders, creating challenges for many individuals. With this new scheme, all cancer patients can now benefit from consistent financial assistance, regardless of their address or eligibility status, ensuring greater access to essential products during treatment and recovery.

As of yet, the HSE have not made any amendments to the allowance for alopecia. This alopecia wig grant still abides by the old guidelines requiring a valid medical card and the allowance value determined by the clients home address.

Applying to The HSE For Wigs & Breast Care Products

We can take care of processing your HSE allowance for wigs & breast care products. We have been doing this for clients for years, so you do not have to worry about anything. Below you will find out what is needed to make a claim.

To claim your yearly breast care allowance, you will need:

  • A prescription/letter from your doctor stating the products you require. (See list below)
  • Your next allowance is available 1 year from your previous approval date.
  • You do not need a medical card

To claim your yearly hair piece allowance, you will need:

  • A prescription/letter from your doctor stating
    • Your diagnosis & that your treatment will cause hair loss
    • Your need for a wig/hairpiece
  • Your next allowance is available 1 year from your previous approval date.
  • You do not need a medical card

To claim your yearly hair piece allowance, you will need:

  • A prescription/letter from your doctor stating
    • The form of alopecia you have
    • Your need for a wig/hairpiece
  • Your next allowance is available 1 year from your previous approval date.
  • You will need a medical card

Wig & Hair Piece HSE Allowance

Wigs & Hair Pieces for Cancer

If you have hair loss due to cancer treatment you can claim an allowance of €770 from the HSE towards the cost of your wig or hair piece.

Your medical care team or GP must provide you with a prescription for your wig/hair piece. It must state why you need these products i.e. due to chemotherapy etc. When you have this prescription/letter book an appointment with us here in Roches.

Bring your prescription/letter with you to your wig appointment and we will complete all the paperwork on your behalf. The HSE will pay us directly, meaning you will not need to pay us anything, unless you spend more than your allowance of €770. You might spend less than your €770 allowance, in that case, the HSE will only pay us the value of the products you received.  

This allowance can only be claimed once per year, even if you spend less than €770.

Wigs & Hair Pieces for Alopecia

If you have hair loss due to alopecia or hair thinning and have a medical card, you can claim an allowance from the HSE towards the cost of your wig or hair piece.

Your consultant or GP must provide you with a prescription for your wig/hair piece. It must state the type of alopecia you have i.e. alopecia areata, frontal fibrosing alopecia, primary scarring alopecia, alopecia caused by burns or trauma, alopecia totalis etc. When you have this prescription/letter book an appointment with us here at Roches.

Bring your prescription/letter with you to your wig appointment and we will complete all the paperwork on your behalf. The HSE will pay us directly, meaning you will not need to pay us anything, unless you spend more than your allowance. If you spend less than your allowance, the HSE will only pay us the value of the products you received.  

This allowance can only be claimed once per year, even if you spend less than the maximum allowance value.

The allowance value varies throughout the country, it is based on the address your medical card is registered to. Allowances can vary from €440 to €767.

If your doctor is unsure what to give you, you can direct them to use our wig prescription template. However, for it to be valid it is essential that they use their headed paper when printing or saving it.

Breast Care HSE Allowance

If you have had a mastectomy to treat cancer you can get annual financial allowances from the HSE. These allowances are available towards your breast prosthesis, mastectomy bras, mastectomy swimwear and swim prosthesis. You no longer need to have a medical card to claim these yearly allowances.

The allowances for post-mastectomy products each year are:

  • Up to €400 for
    • 2x Mastectomy Bras
    • 1x Breast Prosthesis
  • Up to €150 for
    • 1x Swimming Breast Prosthesis
    • 1x Mastectomy Swimwear

Allowances are increased for those who have had a double mastectomy.

To claim, you will need a prescription/letter from your GP or consultant. It must be dated within 6 months of your appointment and the HSE requires a new prescription/letter every year. Your doctor must prescribe each item you require, we recommend asking them to itemise all products listed above, because if it’s not listed we cannot claim the allowance for you.

When you have your prescription/letter, book your appointment with us here at Roches and bring it along to your appointment. We can do all the paperwork for you and the HSE will pay us directly; meaning you will not need to pay us anything unless you spend more than your allowance. You might spend less than your allowance, in that case, the HSE will only pay us the value of the products you received.

If your doctor is unsure what to give you, you can direct them to use our breast care prescription template. However, for it to be valid it is essential that they use their headed paper when printing or saving it.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have my prescription, now what?

Prescriptions can be emailed, posted or given to us directly at the time of your appointment. If you need to send it to us you, your doctor, or hospital nurse can send the prescription to us any of these ways:

    • Email: info@Roches.ie
    • Post: Roches Wigs & Breast Care, 153 Kimmage Road Lower, Dublin 6W, D6W RD30
I need my wig, hair piece or breast care products in a hurry

We understand that hair loss the need for your breast prosthesis may not adhere to HSE application time frames, so we are happy to provide wigs and breast care first-fit products sooner than the HSE allowance approval and payment arrives.

My chosen products are more expensive than my allowance

If your chosen wig or breast care product(s) are priced higher than your medical card allowance for wigs & breast care products, you can pay the difference to us directly. Alternatively, for wig purchases, you might be able to claim from your PRSI for the balance. You can check out the PRSI Wig Grant details here. 

What happens if I don't have my prescription before my appointment?

To us, your prescription/letter is equal to payment. So, if for whatever reason you don’t have your prescription in time for your appointment, you have 2 options. 

  1. Leave your products on hold and collect them or have them posted when you give us your prescription. 
  2. Pay for your products and we’ll refund you right away when we receive your prescription.
I didn't spend my full allowance, can I get more later in the year?

No, regardless of how much you spend the HSE will only approve once per year for each product.

Meaning, they will only approve for your wig, bras, breast prosthesis, etc. once a year, regardless of the cost.

The HSE provide maximum monetary allowances towards a predefined number of products –  1x wig, 1x breast prosthesis, 2x mastectomy bras, 1x swimming prosthesis, 1x mastectomy swimsuit.

I was told I'm not due to apply yet, what does that mean?

Your allowance can be claimed once per year and must be at least 12 months since your last approval.

For example: The HSE approved your wig application on 01/05/2024, you can claim again on or after 01/05/2025.

This applicaiton date is not based on the date you received the items, or the date we sent in the application to the HSE. Instead, it is based on the date the HSE processed and approved your last application. Depending on the HSE office, some applications are processed within hours of sending them in, but others may take weeks.