Health care and welfare benefits

This page is about health care and welfare benefits in the UK. If you are looking for information about benefits in other countries, please contact your local epilepsy organisation who should be able to help you.

Free prescriptions

If you have epilepsy and take anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), you are entitled to receive all your prescriptions (not just those for AEDs) free of charge.

To claim your free prescriptions you will need to get an exemption certificate by asking your doctor for form FP92A (England), HC11B (Northern Ireland, EC92 (Scotland) or FP92W (Wales).

If you do not yet have an exemption certificate, you can claim a refund of your prescription charges within three months of paying. You must ask for a receipt on form FP57 (England), PS7 (Northern Ireland), EC57 (Scotland) or WP57 (Wales).at the time you pay for the prescription — you can't get one later. The form will tell you how to claim a refund.

For further information about prescription charges, contact the Prescription Helpline 0845 850 1166.

Help with transport costs

If you have epilepsy and still have seizures even though you are taking AEDs, you are eligible for a Disabled Person's Railcard. If you live in England or Wales you will also be entitled to discounted bus fares.

Disabled Person's Railcard

The Disabled Person's Railcard entitles you to discounts of up to a third on a range of rail tickets.

Children aged between five and 16 may also be eligible for a Disabled Persons Railcard. Although they only need to pay the normal child's fare, an adult can travel with them at the discounted rate of one third off the adult fare.

Contact your local railway stations, National Rail, or telephone 0845 748 4950 or the Epilepsy Helpline for an application form.

Discounted bus fares

The rules for discounted bus travel in the UK changed on April 1 2006. We have more information about bus travel in England, Scotland and Wales.

Transport to work

If you are unable to use public transport, you may be entitled to financial help towards the cost of getting to work, under a scheme called Access to Work. Further information can be obtained from the Disability Employment Advisor at your local Job Centre

Financial support

Having epilepsy does not automatically entitle you to any specific welfare benefits.

However, if you have complex epilepsy and/or another disability then you may be entitled to receive Disability Living Allowance (for people aged 64 and under) or Attendance Allowance (for people aged 65 and over).

Disability living allowance (DLA)

DLA is awarded to children and adults aged 64 and under, who have care needs and/or mobility needs (see below). DLA is paid at different rates depending on how the disability affects them. To qualify, you must have needed help for at least three months because of a severe physical or mental illness or disability, and be likely to need it for at least another six months.

DLA is tax-free and it does not take into consideration any other income or savings that you may have. It is paid on top of any other earnings or income you may have.

You will be considered to have care needs if one or more of the following applies:

• you need help with 'bodily functions', for example, eating, washing, dressing and going to the toilet. It also includes help which enables someone to take part in social activities;
• you need supervision to stop being a danger to him/herself or others;
• you need help in preparing and cooking a main meal, for example, they cannot cope with heavy pans or cannot light a cooker;
• you are terminally ill.

You will be considered to have mobility needs if one or more of the following applies:

• you cannot walk outdoors or go on an unfamiliar route without guidance or supervision from another person most of the time; and/or
• you are unable to walk or have difficulty in walking. This may mean using a wheelchair, walking very slowly, walking with a lot of pain or effort or being unable to walk very far; and/or
• you have had both legs amputated or were born without legs or feet; and/or
• you are blind and deaf and need someone to help them out of doors; and/or
• you have severe learning difficulties and can behave very disruptively.
• Assess yourself for Disability Living Allowance by downloading out self-assessment fact sheet

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance (AA) is for people aged 65 or over who have care needs. You will be considered to have care needs if one or more of the following applies:

you need help with 'bodily functions', for example, washing, dressing and going to the toilet. It can also include help which enables you to take part in social activities;

you need supervision to stop yourself being a danger to yourself or others,

you are terminally ill.

DLA/AA and epilepsy

When looking at the care needs and mobility needs of a person with epilepsy, factors such as the nature and frequency of the seizures will be considered. For example, a person who has frequent daily seizures, in which consciousness is lost and there is a risk of injury to themselves or others, may be eligible to receive DLA. A person whose seizures are controlled by medication would not be entitled to it, unless they have other qualifying disabilities.

Further information

The following organisations can provide more information about your eligibility to receive welfare benefits:

• Benefit Enquiry Line for People with Disabilities: 0800 88 22 00 (England, Scotland and Wales) 0800 220 674 (Northern Ireland)
• Disability Alliance: 020 7247 8776 (service available 2pm - 4pm Mondays and Wednesdays)
• Citizens Advice Bureau For details of your local branch telephone 020 78332181
• Dial UK Disability Information and Advice Line Services 01302 310 123
• Cerebra - information about claiming DLA for children 0800 328 1159

Help with completing benefit claim forms

Many people have found that their claims are more likely to be successful if they have had assistance with completing the claim forms. Help can be obtained from the following sources:

• Benefits Agency - tel. 0800 44 11 44
• Disability Alliance Rights Advice Line - tel. 020 7247 8763 (service available 2pm - 4pm, Mondays and Wednesdays)
• Citizens Advice Bureau For details of your local branch telephone 020 78332181

What happens after you claim?

Once a decision on your claim has been made, the Department for Work and Pensions will inform you whether or not you have been successful.

Not happy with the decision?

You have the right to ask for a revision or you can appeal against the decision. In either case, this must be done within one month of the date the decision was sent to you.

A revision means that a different decision maker has another look at your case to see if the decision can be changed. You may be asked for more evidence or information, such as a medical examination. If you are not happy with the decision of the second decision maker, you still have another month to appeal.

An appeal is made to an independent appeal tribunal and you have to attend a hearing. For DLA and AA appeals, your case will be made to a lawyer, a doctor and a person experienced in the needs of disabled people.

It is up to you to decide if you want to have a revision or make an appeal. You should get a quicker decision if you ask for a revision. An appeal takes longer to determine.

The following organisations can help you with making an appeal:

• Citizens Advice Bureau For details of your local branch telephone 020 78332181
• Dial UK Disability Information and Advice Line 01302 310 123

Information updated 13 April 2006