Part 2: Benefits and services
explained
Appliances supplied by hospitals Drugs, elastic hosiery, wigs and fabric supports supplied by hospitals to out-patients (including day-patients) are subject to a charge.
Exemption from payment
Drugs and elastic hosiery: see page 22. In addition, someone over 16 but in full-time attendance at school is exempt from the charge for any elastic hosiery supplied by a hospital.
Wigs and fabric supports. The following are exempt from charges:
anyone who is under 16 or in full-time attendance at school;
anyone who is in receipt of supplementary benefit or family income supplement or is a dependant of a person in receipt of one of these; a war pensioner needing the appliance for his accepted disability; people and their dependants who are exempt from prescription charges on income grounds; and
people in a family getting milk and vitamins free on income grounds.
Help with payment
Anyone not in the categories listed above can get help if their income is below a certain level. Local social security offices work out entitlement in these circumstances. Claim forms are available at hospitals.
Attendance allowance
Attendance allowance is payable to adults and children over the age of two who are severely disabled, either physically or mentally. They must have needed a lot of looking after for at least six months.
The conditions
The medical conditions are that a person must be so severely disabled physically or mentally that another person is required to give:
By day: frequent attention throughout the day in connection with bodily
functions; or
continual supervision throughout the day in order to avoid substantial danger to the disabled person or others.
By night: prolonged or repeated attention in connection with bodily
functions; or
continual supervision throughout the night in order to avoid substantial danger to the disabled person or others.
Amount payable
A higher rate of £14.00 a week can be paid if one of the day requirements and one of the night requirements are satisfied for a period of at least six months.
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