The Scottish Government has published an updated guide to accessing help with health costs for dental treatment, vouchers for glasses or contact lenses and refunds for travel to NHS hospitals when receiving treatment.
Low income households and people claiming certain benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) along with women who are pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months, may be able to get essential help during the cost of living crisis.
The guide on mygov.scot is broken down into easy-to-read sections based on age and service you are interested in accessing. A summary of the products and prices, plus qualifying benefits is below.
Can I get help with health costs?
If you are aged under 26 you are entitled to NHS Dental Treatment free of charge whatever your circumstances.
If you are aged 16, 17 or 18 and in qualifying full-time education, then you are entitled to the following NHS items and services free of charge:
- NHS Dental Treatment
- Voucher towards the costs of glasses or contact lenses
- Support for people claiming benefits
If you answer ‘yes’ to anything on the qualifying benefits list you are entitled to:
- Free NHS Dental Treatment
- Vouchers towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses
- A refund of any reasonable amount spent on travel to receive treatment at an NHS hospital
Qualifying benefits
- Income Support
- Universal Credit - and had no earnings or take-home pay of £435 or less during the most recent assessment period
- Universal Credit which includes an element for a child and/or limited capability for work or limited capability for work related activity, and had no earnings or take-home pay of £935 or less during the most recent assessment period
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate
How to claim
To claim your entitlement when you have your treatment, tell the practitioner which benefit you are in receipt of. The practitioner will then ask you for evidence of your entitlement and ask you to sign a form.
People on a low income
If none of the circumstances above applies to you, but you have difficulty paying NHS charges, you may qualify for help under the NHS Low Income Scheme.
This is an income-related scheme which looks at your (and your partner's) weekly requirements and income to calculate how much, if anything, you should pay towards your health costs. Help with hospital travel costs may also be available.
The threshold for full help under the scheme changes from time to time, so if you haven't claimed for a while, it may be worth making a new claim.
If you want to claim help under the Low Income Scheme, pick up form HC1 at Community Pharmacies, GP Practices, Citizens Advice Scotland Offices and Jobcentre Plus offices or by calling 0131 275 6386.
You can get advice on completing the form or information and general advice by calling a helpline on: 0300 330 1343 - calls are charged at local rate.
Women who are pregnant or who have given birth in the last 12 months
You are entitled to receive:
- Free NHS Dental Treatment
To get this, you will need to apply for an NHS Maternity Exemption Certificate. This certificate will also entitle you to free prescriptions if your prescriptions are dispensed in England.
Application forms are available from your GP, midwife or health visitor. They will help you to complete the form and will send it to your NHS Board - your certificate will arrive in the post.
Prescriptions
Prescription charges were abolished in Scotland in April 2011.
You don’t have to pay for NHS prescriptions if you:
- Present a Scottish prescription at a pharmacy in Scotland
- Present an English prescription, with a valid Entitlement Card, at a pharmacy in Scotland
- Present an English prescription form at a pharmacy in Scotland and you qualify under exemption arrangements detailed in the NHS (Free Prescriptions and Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) Regulations 2011
If Scots present their prescription in Northern Ireland or Wales they will not be charged.
If they present a prescription in England they will be required to pay unless they qualify for exemption under English arrangements.
Entitlement Cards
If you live in Scotland but are registered with a GP Practice in England you may apply for an Entitlement Card - this acts evidence that you are eligible for free prescriptions in Scotland.
Entitlement Cards will be issued free of charge to eligible applicants.
The Entitlement Card must be shown at the time the prescription is presented for dispensing to benefit from the abolition of prescription charges in Scotland. The address details on the Entitlement Card must match the address details on the prescription form.
How can I get one?
Contact NHS National Services: Practitioner Services Division on 0141 300 1300 who will send you an application form.
The full guide, including how much you can save on glasses, contact lenses and dental treatment can be found here.
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