Help with Health Costs – Age Groups

Children under 16, and young people aged 16, 17 and 18 in full-time education* (England and Scotland)

You get free:

• NHS prescriptions
• NHS dental treatment for any course of treatment that starts before your 19th birthday
• NHS sight tests
• NHS wigs and fabric supports

• get vouchers towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses
• may get vouchers towards the cost of repair or replacement of glasses or contact lenses.
• may get help with travel costs to and from hospital for NHS treatment.

This is not a definitive guide to the help available. If you are resident in:

• England, click here
• Scotland, click here
• Wales, click here

* Full-time education means you must be receiving full-time instruction from a recognised educational establishment, such as a school, college or university. To be a ‘recognised establishment’ the place where you are studying must have a Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Establishment Number, and be registered on the DfES database. If it is not registered with the DfES, you still may be able to claim for help with health costs if you have a low income.

Other young people not in full-time education (England and Scotland)

You get free:

• NHS dental treatment for any course of treatment which starts before your 18th birthday.

Young people aged under 25 living in Wales

You get free NHS prescriptions dispensed in Wales, and NHS dental examinations carried out in Wales, before your 25th birthday

People aged 60 or over living in England, Scotland and Wales

You get free:

• NHS prescriptions
• NHS sight tests

Remember to check if you can get help for reasons other then age on the Help with Health Costs page.

People aged 60 or over living in Wales

You get free NHS dental examinations carried out in Wales.