How to get help with health costs in the UK
If you are on a low income or receiving benefits you may be eligible for help with health costs. This can include free prescriptions or dental care or reduced cost travel to health-related appointments.
Table Of Contents
Your rights to help with health costs
The NHS is free at the point of service. But there are many health services you are required to pay for. There are exceptions to this rule, and some people can claim for help with health costs. This can include free prescriptions, glasses or dental care.
What help is available?
There is a range of help available for people who cannot afford to pay for medical or healthcare. This includes the following:
- Prescriptions
- Dental treatment
- Eye tests, glasses and contact lenses
- Wigs and fabric supports
- Travel to NHS appointments
If you qualify for support, you will receive one of the following:
- HC2 certificate for full healthcare costs
- HC3 certificate for partial healthcare costs
- NHS tax exemption certificate
- Maternity exemption certificate
- Medical exemption certificate
Some people will get all NHS costs covered, some people will get part of the costs covered.
Who is eligible for help?
If you receive certain benefits or you have a low income and receive Tax Credits, you may be eligible for help with NHS costs. You will get an HC2 certificate if you are on benefits. You will get an NHS tax exemption certificate if you earn less than £15,276.
You may also be able to claim if the following applies:
- You are pregnant or have had a baby within the past year and have a valid maternity exemption certificate
- You are aged 60 or older
- You are aged 19 or younger
- You receive a War Pension
- You have a medical condition such as diabetes and have a medical exemption certificate
There is a free tool on the NHS website where you can check what help you are eligible for. Sometimes the help is partial payment. Sometimes it covers the whole cost.
How to get help paying for prescriptions
You may be eligible for help paying for a prescription. It costs £9.90 for a prescription in England, following a price rise in May 2024. If you are not entitled to free prescriptions, there are still options. It can be cheaper to buy a prepayment certificate if you regularly need a certain type of medication.
NHS prescription costs for England:
Type of prescription |
Cost |
|---|---|
One item |
£9.90 |
Three-month certificate |
£32.05 |
12-month certificate |
£114.50 |
12-month hormone replacement therapy (HRT) certificate |
£19.80 |
Some medications, such as for hospital in-patients, are always free. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland prescriptions are free for everyone.
Who can get help with prescription costs?
You may be able to get free prescriptions if the following apply:
- You are in full-time education and aged 16, 17 or 18
- You are age 60 or over
- You receive the following benefits: Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- You are aged 20 or under and depend on a person receiving any of the benefits listed above
- You receive Universal Credit and your earnings are £435 or less for your latest assessment period (or £935 if you have a child or a limited capacity for work).
- You have a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate
Is a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) cheaper?
If you do pay for prescriptions, it may be cheaper to buy a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) if you regularly need to pay for medication. How much you could save will depend on how often you pay for your prescriptions. If you need one or more prescriptions a month the annual PPC would be worthwhile. You can buy it in 10 instalments.
The following table gives some examples of the potential savings.
How many prescriptions you pay for in a month |
Cost of paying separately over 12 months (£9.90 per prescription) |
Cost of an annual PPC |
Potential savings |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
£118.80 |
£114.50 |
£4.30 |
3 |
£356.40 |
£114.50 |
£241.90 |
5 |
£594 |
£114.50 |
£479.50 |
You can buy a prescription prepayment certificate online. You can pay for the 12-month PPC in 10 direct debit instalments of £11.45.
What help is available for dental care costs?
Most people pay something towards their dental care in the UK. Some people are exempt from paying for dental treatment, such as those aged under 18. There may also be help available with dental costs, so you don’t have to pay the full amount.
The following groups of people do not have to pay for dental services:
- Anyone aged under 18, or 19 if in full-time education
- Women who are pregnant or who have had a baby in the past 12 months. You need a maternity exemption certificate
- Anyone being treated in an NHS hospital
- Those receiving low-income benefits, their spouse and anyone aged 20 and under who is a dependant of someone getting these benefits
How much does it cost for dental care?
In the UK dental costs are split into three different bands. You should pay one cost for any treatment you receive within a band. These are demonstrated in the following table:
Dental treatment costs with the NHS
Band |
Treatment included |
Cost |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Examinations, diagnosis (including radiographs), advice on how to prevent future problems, scale and polish if clinically necessary, and preventative care. Urgent dental treatment is also included in this band. |
£26.80 |
2 |
Everything listed in Band 1 is included. It also includes any further treatment, such as fillings, root canal work, or if your dentist needs to take out one or more of your teeth. |
£73.50 |
3 |
Everything in bands 1 and 2 is included along with crowns, dentures, bridges and other laboratory work. |
£319.10 |
Support with dental costs
When you make an appointment with an NHS dentist, you will be given a form to fill out. You will need to tick the correct box to show you are exempt from paying for dental care.
If you have an exemption certificate you will need to enter the certificate number on the form. You may need to show this certificate to the dentist. If you are asked to pay for any reason, you can claim these costs back from the NHS if you are eligible.
What help can I claim for eye care costs?
You may be entitled to free eye tests if you are on a low income or you meet the NHS criteria. Optical vouchers are also available to some people to lower the cost of glasses.
Help with eye care costs and vouchers
The following people may be able to apply for free eye tests or eyecare vouchers to put towards the cost of glasses.
NHS service |
Eligibility requirements |
|---|---|
Free eye tests |
|
Eye care vouchers |
|
NHS vouchers for glasses and lenses are based on the strength of the lenses you need. They range from £42.40 to £235.56. If you need additional specialist lenses, such as tints or prisms, you may get more.
Travel costs for NHS treatment
You may be able to apply for help with the cost of travel to an NHS appointment. This comes under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS).
To qualify for the HTCS the following must all apply at the time of the appointment:
- You, or your partner, must receive a qualifying low-income benefit
- You must have a referral for specialist NHS care
- The appointment needs to be on a different day to when the referral was made
You can apply for the scheme for a child, if you meet the criteria above. It’s also possible to claim for the cost of travel for a carer, if you require one to come with you.
Reclaiming travel costs
If you are eligible for help, the NHS expects you to pay for travel costs and then apply for a refund. You must apply within three months. There are some situations when you can ask for the money in advance of your appointment too. This will be organised through your hospital’s patient advice and liaison services (PALS). You can find the contact details on the NHS website.
The NHS Low Income Scheme
If you have a low income, you may qualify for help with health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS). This can include prescription cost assistance or dental cost support. You will still have to pay for health costs, but at a reduced price, if you qualify.
The following NHS areas are all included in the LIS:
- Prescriptions
- Dental treatment
- Eye care costs
- Travel costs to NHS appointments
- Wigs and fabric supports
Who is eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme?
To apply for the LIS, your savings, investments, any property you own – but not the place you live – must not exceed the following:
- £23,250 for people who live permanently in a care home (rising to £100,000 in October 2025)
- £16,000 for everyone else
The help available will also be for your partner if you have one and any dependent children. You may receive full help or partial help.
Can I get full or partial help with NHS costs?
Type of help available |
Eligibility requirements |
|---|---|
Full help with costs (HC2 certificate) |
Your weekly income must be less than or equal to your day-to-day living expenses and housing costs |
Partial help with costs (HC3 certificate) |
Your weekly income will be higher than your day-to-day living expenses and housing costs |
How to apply
You can apply for the LIS online or by post. You can make an online application on the NHS business Services Authority website.
If you apply by post you will need to fill in an HC1 form and send it to the address listed on the form.
Required documents
When you apply for the LIS, you will need to show the following documents:
- Proof of your ID, such as a driving licence or passport
- Details about your income and living expenses
- Statements to show any other assets or savings you have
Additional tips for cutting health costs
There are lots of ways to cut the cost of healthcare. This can be by taking advantage of free treatment, such as the flu jab, or buying non-branded medicines.
Buy generic over branded medicine
It’s almost always cheaper to buy own-branded medicine. Most pharmacies and supermarkets sell their own versions of common drugs, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and antihistamines. These tend to be significantly cheaper than branded versions. To compare the costs, look at the ingredient list and you will be able to see what is in a product.
Get a free flu jab
You can pay for a flu jab, but the costs vary significantly. At Boots, for example it’s almost £20 while at Asda it’s £12.
You can also pay for it via the NHS if you aren’t eligible for a free vaccination. It may be possible to get a free flu jab if your employer offers one too.
Summary: Getting the most out of help with health costs
Medical costs can be expensive. Make sure you include any you have to pay when working out your budget. If you’re on a low income and you’re unsure what help you can qualify for, check the free NHS calculator.