Help with NHS health costs

NHS care itself is free, but some of the costs around it, things like prescriptions, dental treatment, glasses and getting to hospital, can still add up. The good news is that being over 60, or being on a lower income, entitles you to a good deal of help, and quite a bit of it is automatic. Here is what you are entitled to and how to claim it.

Free simply because you are 60 or over

Two things are free for everyone aged 60 or over in England, whatever your income or savings:

• Prescriptions. From your 60th birthday, your NHS prescriptions are free. You just give your date of birth at the pharmacy, although you may occasionally be asked for proof of age, so it is worth carrying something like your bus pass or a pension letter. There has been talk over the years of raising this age, but it remains 60.
• NHS sight tests. You are entitled to a free NHS sight test, usually every two years, or more often if your optician recommends it. Simply tell your optician your age when you book.

Things that depend on your income, not your age

This is where people often get caught out. Some help is not automatic at 60, but you may well still get it if you are on Pension Credit or a low income:

• NHS dental treatment is not free just because you are over 60. It is free if you or your partner receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, certain other benefits, or have an HC2 certificate (more on that below). A useful tip is to ask the dental practice to check your entitlement before treatment starts, so there are no surprises.
• Glasses and contact lenses. The eye test is free at 60, but the glasses themselves usually are not. You can get a voucher towards the cost if you are on Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, on a low income, or have certain eye conditions.
• Travel to hospital. If you are referred to hospital for specialist NHS treatment, you can claim back your travel costs if you are on a qualifying benefit or hold an HC2 or HC3 certificate.
• Wigs and fabric supports are free on the same basis.

The Pension Credit link

Getting the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit unlocks all of the help above: free NHS dental treatment, vouchers towards glasses, help with hospital travel, and free wigs and fabric supports. So it is well worth checking whether you qualify for Pension Credit in the first place, and we have a separate guide on that. If you have recently been awarded Pension Credit, you may also be able to claim back money for things you paid for in the meantime.

On a low income but not on Pension Credit?

If your income is modest but you do not get Pension Credit, you may still get help through the NHS Low Income Scheme. You fill in a form called an HC1, and if you qualify you receive either an HC2 certificate, which gives full help, or an HC3 certificate, which gives partial help, towards dental treatment, glasses, hospital travel and more.

It is based on your income and savings rather than your age, and a great many pensioners on modest incomes qualify for full or partial help. You can get an HC1 form online, or pick one up from a hospital or Jobcentre Plus, and there is a helpline if you would like a hand (the NHS Business Services Authority, on 0300 330 1343).

A few other things worth knowing

It is not all about costs. Your flu and COVID vaccinations are free, and NHS hearing aids are provided free of charge after an assessment, so do take up these if they would help.

If you have paid when you did not need to

If you paid for something you were entitled to get free, you can often claim it back. For prescriptions, ask the pharmacist for an FP57 receipt at the moment you pay, as you cannot get one afterwards, and claim within three months. For other costs, an HC5 refund form is available from the NHS.

Where to get help, locally and nationally

Close to home, across Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire:

• Your local pharmacy, GP, optician and dentist, who can all advise on what you are entitled to.
• The cashier's office at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, for claiming back hospital travel costs.
• Citizens Advice and Derbyshire County Council's adult care service, for a free benefits check, which can confirm whether you qualify for Pension Credit and the extra help it brings. For Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, Citizens Advice is on 0808 250 5702 (9am to 2pm, Monday to Friday). For the Chesterfield Borough area, find your local office at citizensadvice.org.uk.

Across the country:

• GOV.UK, at gov.uk/help-nhs-costs, which has a quick checker that takes about five minutes.
• The NHS Business Services Authority, on 0300 330 1343, for the Low Income Scheme.
• Citizens Advice, on the freephone Adviceline 0800 144 8848.
• Independent Age, on 0800 319 6789, for free advice and factsheets.