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NHS Low Income Scheme
Help with NHS health costs if you have a low income, even if you don't get benefits. You apply once with form HC1 and get a certificate: HC2 for full help, or HC3 for some help.
What it covers
- NHS prescriptions (England only: they're free for everyone in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
- NHS dental treatment.
- Sight tests, glasses and contact lenses (vouchers).
- Travel to NHS treatment when referred by a doctor.
- Wigs and fabric supports.
Who can apply
Anyone whose savings, investments or property (not your home) are £16,000 or less, or £23,250 if you live permanently in a care home (£24,000 in Wales). It looks at your weekly needs (a personal allowance plus premiums, rent or mortgage and Council Tax) and compares them with your weekly income:
- income the same or less than your needs: full help (HC2);
- income a bit more than your needs: some help (HC3);
- income a lot more: no help.
You may not need to apply
You (and children under 20 on your claim) already get full help if you get Pension Credit guarantee, income-based JSA or ESA, Income Support, or Universal Credit with low earnings. In England, prescriptions are also free if you're 60 or over, under 16, or 16 to 18 in full-time education, pregnant or had a baby in the last year (with a maternity exemption certificate), or have certain medical conditions.
See what you could get
Answer a few plain questions and get a list of the benefits and help you're likely to get, with amounts and links to apply.
Check what I can getHow to apply
- Apply online with the NHS Business Services Authority. If you have more than £6,000 in savings, no income, or a partner and you're a student, use the paper HC1 form instead.
- Northern Ireland: help with health costs on nidirect (paper form only).
Already paid? You can claim a refund when you apply, as long as you claim within 3 months of paying.
Sources
Every figure on this page is copied from these official pages, for April 2026 to March 2027 (checked 3 November 2026):
This is a guide, not advice. The office that runs each benefit decides who gets it. Rules can change.