Help with Health Costs - Benefit Groups

Either you or your partner may be getting the benefit.

Income Support

You and your partner get free:

• NHS prescriptions
• NHS dental treatment
• NHS sight tests
• NHS wigs and fabric supports

You also get:

• vouchers towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses
• refunds of necessary travel costs to receive NHS treatment under the care of a consultant for you, you partner and any dependent children and young people under 19.

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

You and your partner are entitled to the same things as people getting Income Support (see above).

Contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Important: On its own, Contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance does not entitle you to help with health costs. If you have to pay health costs, check to see if you are in any of the other groups on the Help with Health Costs page. You might be able to get help if you are on a low income.

If you are not sure about the type of Jobseeker’s Allowance you are getting, ask at your Jobcentre Plus office.

Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

If you get:

• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit with Savings Credit, or
• If you are aged under 60 and your partner gets either of the above, you are entitled to the same help with health costs as people getting Income Support (see above)

Important: If you only get Pension Credit Savings Credit on its own, this does not entitle you to help with health costs. If you have to pay health costs, check to see if you are in any of the other groups on the Help with Health Costs page. You might be able to get help if you are on a low income.

How to check if you are getting Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

Only your award notice tells you what type of Pension Credit you get. This is shown at item 5 on the page entitled ‘How your Pension Credit has been worked out’. If you have not received an award notice, or have mislaid it, you should ring the Pension Centre on local rate number 0845 606 0265 and ask for a copy.

Other Benefits

Only Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and Pension Credit Guarantee Credit give you automatic help with health costs.

Important: Other benefits, such as Incapacity Benefit or Disability Living Allowance, don’t entitle you to help with health costs. This is because they are not income related. If you have to pay health costs, check to see if you are in any of the other groups on the Help with Health Costs page. You might be able to get help if you are on a low income.

Tax Credits

Information about the help available if you, or your partner, get tax credits is available here.