Summary
The purpose of this consultation is to outline the potential changes to the eligibility criteria for automatic support being provided under the Help with Health Costs scheme for Universal Credit recipients.
Documents
- Consultation paper - Passporting of eligible individuals to Help with Health Costs following the introduction of Universal Credit
- Consultation response questionnaire - Passporting of eligible individuals to Help with Help Costs following the introduction of UC
- Help with Health Costs - RNIA 2025
- Help with Health Costs - Equality screening 2025
- Consultation Summary Report - Help with Health Costs
Consultation description
The Help with Health Costs scheme provides individuals, primarily on low incomes, with help towards the cost of dental treatment, eyesight tests, glasses or contact lenses, and travel costs for Health and Social Care (HSC) treatment, on referral by a doctor or dentist. Individuals in receipt of certain legacy benefits are entitled to help from the scheme without having to make an application, that is they are ‘automatically passported’.
This is not the case for individuals in receipt of Universal Credit as the legislation has not been amended to reflect its introduction in Northern Ireland, therefore it is not an automatically passporting benefit.
This consultation seeks your views on the proposed eligibility criteria with the aim of ensuring that those most in need automatically receive help to access these very important healthcare services. Until changes to the eligibility criteria are introduced, those receiving Universal Credit can continue to receive support through the Department’s Low Income Scheme.
Ways to respond
Consultation closed — responses are no longer being accepted.