Health benefits can provide help with the costs of NHS prescriptions, dental treatment, sight tests and glasses, and wigs and fabric supports, as well as fares to receive NHS treatment. Health benefits help by providing such items free or at a reduced cost – they are not payments of money. Health benefits are awarded by the NHS Business Services Authority.
Who can claim?
You qualify if you are in an exempt group, so you get the item free of charge. You are in an exempt group if you or a member of your family gets:
Alternatively, you qualify if you are on low income, so that you get the item at reduced cost. Whether or not you qualify depends on your circumstances, including how much income you have.
How do you claim?
Ask at your dentist, optician or hospital about exemption. If you are in an exempt group, you are usually asked to complete the back of the prescription form or to complete another appropriate form. If you are not exempt, claim help under the low income scheme on form HC1, available from GP practices, dentists, opticians, some chemists and advice centres.