NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS)

Description

Help with NHS health costs — prescriptions, dental treatment, glasses/contact lenses, wigs and fabric supports, and travel to NHS appointments — for people on a low income who don't already qualify for automatic help via another benefit. The scheme works the same way (an HC1 application leading to an HC2 certificate for full help, or an HC3 for partial help) across all four nations, but its relevance differs sharply by nation: prescriptions are already free for everyone in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, so the scheme mainly matters for prescription costs in England — but dental treatment, optical vouchers, and NHS travel costs are charged in all four nations, so the scheme (under its local branding, e.g. HC2W in Wales) remains genuinely relevant UK-wide for those specific costs.

Eligibility summary

• Available across the whole UK (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland).
• Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
• Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance.

Notes

In England, this is the main route to free prescriptions for low-income people not otherwise exempt — England charges £9.90 per prescription item (2026/27) with exemptions mainly for under-16s, 16–18 in full-time education, over-60s, pregnant women, and certain medical conditions, leaving a genuine gap for low-income working-age adults without a qualifying condition. In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, prescriptions are already free for everyone regardless of income, so this scheme is relevant there only for dental, optical, and travel cost help. Certificates last between 6 months and 5 years depending on circumstances and must be renewed.

Requirement

Savings under £16,000 (£23,250 if in a care home), and income low enough that it doesn't exceed your personal 'requirements' figure by more than half the English prescription charge (for full help, HC2) or by more than that for partial help (HC3). People already receiving Guarantee Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, or Universal Credit (meeting the earnings threshold) get automatic full help without needing an HC2.