exempt from the Insurance Premium Tax which was introduced in October 1994.

NHS dental treatment: Everyone is entitled to the following NHS dental treatment:

Stopping bleeding after extractions

Repairs to dentures

Calling a dentist out, either to his/her surgery in an emergency, or for a necessary home visit ( but in either of these circumstances you will have to pay for the treatment itself unless you qualify for free treatment as below)

Apart from these services, NHS dental treatment is subject to prescribed charges. Some groups of people, however, are entitled to free treatment. These include people on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, family Credit or Disability Working Allowance, or a partner of such a person. You may also be able to get help (full or partial) if you and your partner have a low income and do not have savings of £8,000 or more (£16,000) if you live in a residential care home or nursing home). Qualification is broadly based on Income Support rules.

If you get a War Disablement Pension you may be able to claim a refund of the statutory charges for a dental examination, treatment or dentures needed because of your war disablement.

Refunds: If you qualify for free or reduced charge treatment but do not realise this until after you have paid the dentist, you may be able to get a refund.

For further information

Department of Health leaflets

HC11, ‘Are you entitled to help with health costs?’

HC12 ‘NHS charges’

HC13 ‘Advisers guide to help with health costs’

Some groups of people are entitled to free prescriptions. These include:

People aged 60 or over;

People on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance, or a partner of such a person;

People receiving a War Disablement Pension who need prescriptions for the disability for which they get that pension;

People with one or more of the following conditions:

- a permanent fistula (including caecostomy, colostomy, Laryngostomy or ileo

stomy) which requires continuous surgical dressing or an appliance;

- forms of hypoadrenolism (including Addison’s disease) for which specific

substitute therapy is essential;

- diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism;

- diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;

- hypoparathyroidism

- myasthenia gravis;

- myoxedema or other conditions where supplementary thyroid hormone is

necessary;

- epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy;

- a continuing physical disability which prevents the disabled person leaving

home without the help of another person (temporary disabilities, even if they

last a few months, do not count;

- people who, alone or with a partner, qualify for full help under the NHS

low-income scheme. Qualification is broadly based on the Income Support rules

If you do not qualify for exemption, but need a lot of prescriptions, you can buy a prepaid ‘ season ticket’ covering any number of prescriptions in a given period. This may be for four or twelve months and may cost you less than paying per prescription. Get form FP95 (EC95 in Scotland) from a main post office, pharmacy, social security office or heath authority.

Prescription charges do not apply to items which are supplied and personally administered by either prescribing or dispensing doctors.

Refunds

If you qualify for free prescription but have already paid a prescription charge, you can reclaim it. But you must have a receipt FP57 (EC57 in Scotland) and claim within tree months of paying the charge.

For further information: See Department of Health leaflets as listed above.

Sight tests and voucher scheme for spectacles under the NHS

Sight tests: Some groups of people are entitled to free sight tests.

These include:

People on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance, or a partner of such a person;

People who need complex lenses as defined for the NHS voucher scheme for glasses (see below);

People who are registered blind or partially sighted;

People who are diagnosed as having diabetes or glaucoma;

People aged 40 or over who are a parent, brother, sister or child of a person with diagnosed glaucoma;

Patients of the Hospital Eye Service.

You may also be able to get help (full or partial) if you and your partner have a low income and do not have savings of more than £8,000 or more (£16,000 if you live in a residential care home or nursing home). Qualification is broadly based on Income Support rules.

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