We have
recently discovered that dental care, sight tests and prescription are no
longer automatically free for those people with the most severe impairments –
under the new benefit system. My daughter, Erica who has multiple impairments,
complex health needs and is now 100% funded by Continuing Health Care funding –
is no longer automatically entitled to free dental care. Erica, like so many others has been moved
from Income Support to Employment Support Allowance (ESA).
A few months
ago we received a letter from the NHS dental services in Darlington stating
that she had been to the dentist in December 2013 and her dental care had to be
paid by her. We provided them with
information about her benefits and then a few weeks ago received a letter
stating that she was not eligible for free dental care and if she did not pay
£18 she would be taken to court.
I found this
information so unbelievable that I then phoned to discover the following. There
are 2 types of ESA – one is ‘income-related’ and the other is ‘contribution-related’.
Only those people on income-related ESA now automatically receive free dental
care, free eye tests, free prescriptions etc. As Erica is one of the most
severely disabled people in our community I cannot understand this type of
ruling. Following an hour on the phone
to various people in the Job Centre Plus service we were then told that we
could complete an HC1 form and apply for free care.
The 18 page
form arrived, I completed that and we now have a certificate (HC2) which
entitles Erica to free care for one year.
A new form needs to be completed one month before the expiry date each
year to continue this entitlement. Just in case – as a carer I do not have
sufficient to remember to do – I now need to remember each year to apply for what
was once an automatic entitlement.
I like so
many other family carers take Erica to the dentist and without thinking tick
the box stating that she receives ESA. Erica was picked up on a spot check –
and I wonder how many other carers have made the same assumption that I
made. Erica was entitled automatically
to free dental care when she received Income Support, so a change in benefit
should not remove this entitlement.
However it does. I wondered whether there are other carers out there who
have had to untangle this change.
