Who is eligible for help with travel costs?
Patients may be eligible for help with travel costs if you receive any of the following benefits.
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit and meet the criteria
- You’re named on, or entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate (if you do not have a certificate, you can show your award notice) – you qualify if you get child tax credits, working tax credits with a disability element (or both), and have income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less.
- You have a low income and are named on certificate HC2 (full help) or HC3 (limited help). You can apply for these certificates through the NHS Low Income Scheme.
What is needed?
You will need a travel expense claim form which will be completed by a member staff at the service you have attended. If you are in receipt of any of the benefits listed above please provide original documentation for the current year. If you are receiving Universal Credit please bring the full document including the information that states “your take home pay for this Universal Credit period is £…”.
How to get help with travel costs
If you receive treatment under the care of a consultant, or through a referral by a doctor or dentist, usually an NHS hospital will give you your refund when you go for treatment and once you have provided the documentation listed above you can claim at the cashiers office. If this is not possible you can complete a HC5(T) refund claim form this is a postal claim process.