Published 27 September 2026
Quick answer: For a short-term need, the British Red Cross hires wheelchairs across the UK for £22 a week plus a £30 delivery and collection fee, with no referral needed. Mobility shops charge roughly £15 to £49 a week for a manual chair and £70 to £145 a week for an electric one, usually with a deposit. The NHS generally does not lend wheelchairs for needs under six months. If you need a chair for more than about a month, buying a basic one can cost less than hiring.
Last checked: 27 September 2026. Every price below was read on the named organisation’s own page on that date.
Why the NHS usually says no
NHS wheelchair services exist for long-term need. Airedale NHS Foundation Trust states in capitals that it does not provide chairs for short-term use of less than six months. Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust says you must need a chair for longer than six months, and Mersey Care’s Knowsley service excludes people recovering from surgery or illness whose needs are likely to change within six months. All three point people to the same places: the British Red Cross, local mobility shops and Shopmobility.
If your need is long-term, the NHS route is worth pursuing: see our guide to NHS wheelchair services versus council equipment and the NHS wheelchair waiting times for your area.
The British Red Cross service is no longer a donation
Many older guides describe the Red Cross wheelchair service as a free or donation-based local loan. On 27 September 2026 its own hire page listed a charge of £22 a week with no additional fees, plus a £30 one-off delivery and collection fee. There is no deposit and no GP letter or referral needed. The minimum hire is one week and you extend by phone on 0300 456 1914. Chairs are delivered to home addresses, next weekday if you book before noon, subject to availability.
It hires self-propelled, transit and bariatric chairs in standard weights (no lightweight models), suitable for anyone over five, with leg elevators, cushions and stump supports available. In Hampshire, Northern Ireland and Norfolk and Waveney, the NHS funds the hire, so booking online shows £0 at checkout. The Red Cross says it cannot offer free hire to everyone, and asks people who cannot afford a chair to phone.
| Length of hire | Red Cross total |
|---|---|
| 1 week | £52 |
| 2 weeks | £74 |
| 4 weeks | £118 |
| 6 weeks | £162 |
| 12 weeks | £294 |
Commercial hire prices
These are the prices hire companies and mobility shops published on 27 September 2026. Delivery charges and deposits vary as much as the weekly rate, so compare the total.
| Company | Manual wheelchair | Electric wheelchair | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobility Hire (national) | £17.40/week inc VAT, 2-week minimum; £15.00 from week 13 | Folding powerchair £126.60/week inc VAT | £50 manual, £150 powered, plus excess waiver |
| Ableworld (in store) | £7.50/day, £20/weekend, £30/week | Not listed | £40 refundable |
| Millercare | From £35/week | From £125/week | £50 manual, £200 powered; £25 delivery |
| EzzE Mobility Hire (Guildford) | £30/week, £70/month | £70 to £75/week | £80 manual, £200 to £250 powered |
| Ability Store (Surrey) | £8.50/day, £29.99/week, £110/month | Not listed | Not stated |
| Adapt A Home (London) | From £49/week | From £145/week | Not stated |
The cheapest manual weekly rate we found was Mobility Hire’s national postal service; the cheapest walk-in rate was Ableworld’s in its stores. For electric chairs, expect £70 to £145 a week and a deposit of £150 or more. If you are hiring a scooter instead, our mobility scooter hire guide covers the same ground.
Shopmobility: cheap, but local
Shopmobility schemes lend wheelchairs and scooters in town and shopping centres, for use on site. Charges are set locally and range widely. Leicester City Council’s scheme has free membership and free loans. Sunderland’s charges £20 a year membership, then 50p an hour for a wheelchair up to £2.50. Portsmouth charges £10 membership and £5 a day, and also offers longer hire at £22.50 a week for a wheelchair with a £50 deposit. Expect to register in person with ID on your first visit. Shopmobility UK lists local schemes on its website.
Free loans for a day out
Many attractions and airports lend wheelchairs on the day. Heathrow lets passengers pick up a wheelchair free of charge from its assistance areas. National Trust houses such as Stourhead lend standard wheelchairs first come, first served, and some properties add all-terrain trampers that need booking. English Heritage keeps two wheelchairs at Stonehenge’s admissions tills. Phone ahead: numbers are small and these chairs are not bookable everywhere.
Hire or buy?
On 27 September 2026 the cheapest new folding self-propelled chair we found was £89.99 (Mobility Shop), and CareCo’s cheapest self-propelled chair was £129.99 with VAT relief. At Red Cross rates, a new £89.99 chair costs less than hiring from the third week, and a £129.99 chair from the fifth. At Mobility Hire’s rates the crossover comes later, around week six for the cheapest chair, before any delivery charge.
Buying makes sense if the need will last more than a month or two, if you want to keep a chair for occasional use, or if you want a lighter chair than the standard-weight models hire services stock. Hiring makes sense for a week or two, for an electric chair you would not otherwise buy, or when you need delivery and collection. Our wheelchair cost guide covers what new chairs cost, and our transit wheelchair comparison checks ten models against their makers’ documents. When you are finished with a chair, our donation guide covers who will take it.
What to do next
Decide how long you need the chair. Under a month: book the Red Cross or a local hire shop, and compare the total including delivery and deposit. One to three months: price a basic new chair against hire. Longer, or indefinite: ask your GP or physiotherapist about an NHS wheelchair assessment now, and hire in the meantime. Whichever route you take, check the chair fits the person using it, including seat width and footrest length.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a wheelchair in the UK?
On 27 September 2026, the British Red Cross charged £22 a week plus a £30 delivery and collection fee. Mobility shops and hire companies charged roughly £15 to £49 a week for a manual chair and £70 to £145 a week for an electric one, often with a refundable deposit.
Does the Red Cross still lend wheelchairs for free?
Not in most areas. The British Red Cross now hires wheelchairs at £22 a week plus £30 delivery and collection, with no referral needed. The NHS funds free hire in Hampshire, Northern Ireland, and Norfolk and Waveney. Anyone who cannot afford a chair can phone 0300 456 1914.
Can I borrow a wheelchair from the NHS for a short time?
Usually not. NHS wheelchair services generally provide chairs only where the need is expected to last more than six months. Services we checked refer short-term needs to the British Red Cross, mobility shops and Shopmobility.
Is it cheaper to hire or buy a wheelchair?
For more than a few weeks, buying is often cheaper. A basic new self-propelled chair cost £89.99 to £129.99 on 27 September 2026, which is less than Red Cross hire after three to five weeks. Hire makes more sense for short stays, electric chairs, or when you need delivery and collection.
Where can I get a free wheelchair for a day out?
Many airports, National Trust properties and English Heritage sites lend wheelchairs on the day, first come, first served. Heathrow offers wheelchairs free from its assistance areas. Phone the venue first, because numbers are limited.
Sources
British Red Cross, Hire a wheelchair and NHS-funded wheelchair hire pages; Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and Mersey Care (Knowsley) wheelchair service eligibility pages; Shopmobility UK; Leicester City Council, Sunderland City Council and Portsmouth City Council Shopmobility pages; mobilityhire.com, ableworld.co.uk, millercare.co.uk, ezzemobilityhire.co.uk, abilitystore.co.uk and adaptahome.co.uk hire pages; Heathrow, National Trust (Stourhead) and English Heritage (Stonehenge) access pages; mobilityshop.co.uk and careco.co.uk product pages. All read 27 September 2026.
Published 27 September 2026