Benefits

If you have epilepsy, or care for someone with epilepsy, you may be able to claim government benefits or get help through financial support schemes.

On this page we have information about the financial support that is most likely to be relevant to people with epilepsy and their carers.

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The benefits you can claim and how much you might get depends on your individual circumstances.

To find out what benefits you and your family are entitled to, you can contact a specialist benefits advice service such as Citizens Advice.

You could also use an online benefits checker like the one provided by Turn2us to get an idea of what you could claim.

Read on for a short summary of each benefit with details of where to get further information.

  • Access to Work

    Access to Work grants can help pay for practical support if your epilepsy affects your ability to do your job, or means you have to pay work-related costs. If you’re eligible, it could help pay for things like:

    • Travel to and from work if you can’t use public transport
    • Special equipment or adaptations
    • A support worker to help you at work
    • Support to manage your mental health at work
    • Communication support at work or for a job interview

    Your workplace can include your home if you work there some or all the time.

    Find out more or apply

    England, Scotland and Wales: The gov.uk website has more information about Access to Work.

    Northern Ireland: nidirect has more information about the Access to Work (NI) scheme.

  • Attendance Allowance

    If you have a disability that means you need someone to help look after you and have reached state pension age, you may be able to get Attendance Allowance. Some other benefits payments can also increase if you get Attendance Allowance.

    Find out more or apply

    England, Scotland and Wales: The gov.uk website has more information about Attendance Allowance.

    Northern Ireland: nidirect has more information about the Attendance Allowance (NI) scheme.

  • Blue Badge scheme

    A blue badge can be used to park for free in places such as on-street disabled bays, and other on-street parking where you’d usually have to pay. You may be eligible if you have a disability or health condition that affects your ability to get around.

    The Blue Badge scheme is UK-wide but there are some differences in how the scheme is run in different parts of the UK.

    To check if you are eligible for a Blue Badge and how the scheme works in your area, go to the gov.uk website or contact your local council.

  • Carer’s Allowance

    Carer’s Allowance is a taxable benefit for people caring for another person. If you are over 16 years old and spend 35 hours a week or more caring for someone, you may be eligible.

    Getting Carer’s Allowance can affect some other benefits you or the person you are caring for may be claiming. It may also make it possible for you to claim certain other benefits.

    Find out more or apply

    England, Scotland and Wales: The gov.uk website has more information about Carer’s Allowance.

    Northern Ireland: nidirect has more information about the Carer’s Allowance NI scheme.

  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children

    DLA for children can help with the extra costs of looking after a child who has a disability or health condition. If your child is under the age of 16 and needs more looking after than other children of the same age, you may be eligible.

    The charity Cerebra have a free guide which takes you through each stage of applying for Disability Living Allowance for children in more detail.

    Find out more or apply

    England and Wales: The gov.uk website has more information about DLA for Children.

    Northern Ireland: nidirect has more information about the DLA for Children NI scheme.

    Scotland: If your child lives in Scotland, you will need to apply for Child Disability Payment instead.

  • Disabled Facilities Grant

    If your epilepsy means you need to make changes to your home, you might be able to get a grant from your local council to help. Disabled Facilities Grants can help pay for essential changes to make your home safer and improve access, for example:

    • Taking a bath out and installing a level access shower
    • Providing a downstairs toilet or bathroom
    • Fitting safety glass in doors and windows
    • Improving access to confined spaces, such as a toilet or bathroom

    Depending on your income, you may need to pay towards the cost of the work. The grant won’t affect any benefits you get. You will usually need to have an assessment by an occupational therapist to decide what changes you need.

    Find out more or apply

    England, Scotland and Wales: The gov.uk website has more information about Disabled Facilities Grants.

    Northern Ireland: nidirect has more information about the Disabled Facilities Grants NI scheme.

    Scotland: Disabled Facilities Grants aren’t available in Scotland. But Disability Rights UK have some information about other housing grants that could help instead.

  • Disabled Persons Railcard

    A Disabled Persons Railcard gets you a third off the cost of rail fares in England, Scotland and Wales. If you have epilepsy, you are eligible if:

    Find out more or apply

    England, Scotland and Wales: The Disabled Person’s Railcard website has more information about how to apply and the proof you will need to provide. The documents you have to submit may be different depending on where in the UK you live.

    Northern Ireland: The scheme does not run in Northern Ireland, but nidirect has information on other concessionary travel passes you could apply for.

  • Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

    ESA is a benefit for people who have a disability or health condition that affects how much they can work. It can provide:

    • Money to help with living costs if you can’t work
    • Support to get back into work if you are able to

    There are two old types of ESA, called ‘income-based ESA’ and ‘contribution-based ESA’ which some people are still getting. These types of ESA are being phased out, which means that you can’t make a new claim.

    You can apply for ‘new style’ ESA if you’re under state pension age and you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work. You’ll get new style ESA if you’ve made enough National Insurance Contributions.

    You can apply for ESA if you’re employed, self-employed or unemployed. But you can’t get ESA while claiming Jobseekers Allowance or Statutory Sick Pay. Statutory sick pay is money you get from your employer if you’re too ill to work. You can start an ESA claim up to three months before Statutory Sick Pay ends. This can help make switching easier.

    You may be able to get Universal Credit instead of or as well as new style ESA.

    It can be hard to explain about your epilepsy and how it affects you to benefits assessors.

    Visit our ESA and epilepsy page for more information and tips on how to approach the assessment.

    Find out more or apply

    England, Scotland and Wales: The gov.uk website has more information about ESA.

    Northern Ireland: nidirect has more information about the ESA NI scheme.

  • Free bus pass

    A disabled person’s bus pass allows you to travel on buses for free, or at a reduced rate. You are eligible if you would be refused a driving licence because of your epilepsy. But you may also be entitled if you get certain government benefits.

    In England, Scotland and Wales, a bus pass allows you to use busses for free. In Northern Ireland, a bus pass gets you half-price fares.

    Find out more or apply

    Each part of the UK has a different scheme and way of applying:

  • Free prescriptions

    If you have epilepsy and take epilepsy medicines, you should be able to get free prescriptions in any part of the UK.

    Prescription medicines are free for everyone registered with a GP in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, if you have epilepsy and take epilepsy medicines, you are entitled to a medical exemption certificate which lets you get free prescriptions. This will need to be renewed every 5 years.

    Find out more or apply

    Each part of the UK has a different scheme:

  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

    PIP is a benefit which helps with some of the extra costs caused by a long-term health condition or disability. You may be able to get PIP if all of the following things apply:

    • You’re aged between 16 and state pension age
    • You have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
    • You have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around
    • You expect the difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started

    You can get PIP whether or not you are in work. It is not means-tested and is tax-free.

    It can be hard to explain about your epilepsy and how it affects you to benefits assessors.

    For more information and tips on applying, visit our PIP and epilepsy page

    Find out more or apply

    England, Scotland and Wales: The gov.uk website has more information about PIP.

    Northern Ireland: nidirect has more information about the PIP NI scheme.

    PIP is currently available in all parts of the UK. But it is being phased out in Scotland during 2022. Depending on where in Scotland you live and when you apply, you may need to claim a new benefit called Adult Disability Payment instead.

  • Universal Credit

    Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, are out of work or you can’t work.

    You can apply for Universal Credit if you:

    • Live in the UK
    • Are aged 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you’re 16 to 17)
    • Are under state pension age
    • Have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments

    Find out more or apply

    England, Scotland and Wales: The gov.uk website has more information about Universal Credit. The Citizen’s Advice help to claim scheme can help you with the early stages of a Universal Credit claim. Their advisors can help you work out if you are eligible, support with filling in the application and check your first payment is correct.

    Northern Ireland: nidirect has more information about the Universal Credit NI scheme.

Helpline

For more details on benefits

If you have questions regarding benefits then please contact our helpline through the link below.

The Epilepsy Action helpline

Useful organisations for support with benefits

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice can provide specialist benefits advice. Check the website or your local phonebook for details of your nearest Citizens Advice service.
Telephone advice in England: 03444 111 444
Telephone advice in Wales: 03444 77 20 20
Website:

Welfare Rights Unit

Welfare Rights Units give free advice and support around applying for benefits. Some can also help with completing claim forms and appealing benefits decisions. Contact your local council to find out if they have a Welfare Rights Unit.

Turn2us

Provides a free online benefits calculator and grants search tool to help you find out what financial help you are entitled to.
Helpline: 0808 802 2000

Disability Rights UK

This website has useful benefits factsheets you can download. It offers basic information about benefits, tax credits, social care and other disability-related issues for claimants and advisers.

Money Helper

Free, impartial money advice.

NHS Help with Health Costs

Help with healthcare costs.

Contact

Website and helpline offers benefits advice for people with disabled children.
Helpline: 0808 808 3555

Advice NI

Offers information, advice, advocacy and representation for people in Northern Ireland.
Helpline: 0800 988 2377

This information has been produced under the terms of Epilepsy Action's information quality standards.
Published: June 2022
Last modified: November 2023
To be reviewed: August 2024
Tracking: LP02.07 (previously F136)
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