Travel Expenses

A Hospital Travel Costs Scheme is available to help people who are entitled to reclaim travel costs to and from hospital for NHS treatment .

Who is Eligible?

You are automatically entitled to reclaim travel costs if:

- you receive Benefits or Credits:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

- you have a Low Income:

  • Entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate
  • Named on a valid HC2 certificate issued under the terms of the NHS Low Income Scheme

- you are 16-19 yrs old, and are a dependent of someone who receives Benefits or Credits or is on a Low Income.

- you are a war pensioner and the hospital treatment is for your pensionable disability.

 

When submitting a claim you will be asked to provide evidence of eligibility with one of the following:

  • award notices
  • receipt of benefit letters
  • tax credit exemption certificates or
  • guarantee credit for pensions.

 

Children

If a child under 16 is the patient, it is their parents' income that is taken into account. If someone else escorts them to hospital, it is still the parents' income that will be taken into account.

Dependants should be able to provide evidence of the above to reclaim travel costs.

 

Companion Expenses

If, for medical reasons, you need a companion to travel with you, and you qualify for help based on the above criteria, your companions travel costs will also be paid.  Please note that it is only your income which is taken into account.

 

What can be claimed:

Travel costs are calculated on the basis of the cheapest form of public transport available to the patient.

Patients travelling by private car may claim the lesser of:

  • The estimated cost of fuel actually used or
  • The equivalent public transport cost.

Car parking charges will only be reimbursed if they are unavoidable and penalties incurred for illegal parking will not be reimbursed.

In a few cases where there is no alternative (i.e. where patients have restricted mobility or where public transport is not available for all or part of the journey) patients may have to use a taxi or volunteer car service for whole or part of the journey.  In such exceptional circumstances your full costs could be re-imbursed