Since the introduction of Tax Credits and Direct Payment, it is increasingly difficult for people to prove their entitlement for help with fares to hospital.

For instance how does someone prove their entitled to WTC with a disability element?

I received a call on our adviceline from someone who pays the hospital fares to outpatients. They were quoting from a 1995 leaflet, and asking whether Pension Credit was the same as Income Support. They went on to say that they routinely issue HC1 and HC5's as patients are increasingly unable to prove entitlement to benefit.

Training issues at an individual hospital aside, has anyone had any experience with this or found a solution that avoids people making claims for hospital fares via the post?

Many thanks
Simon

The Barnsley/Rotherham DWP Customer Liaison Officer has issued direct dial numbers for the Bursars/Payment Offices at all local hospitals to ring and confirm current entitlement to benefits, as they will not accept award letters more than one month old as proof of entitlement to fare refunds. The Pensions Service said that they were happy to provide duplicate letters confirming entitlement as often as the customer required - monthly if necessary. It remains to be seen whether or not they get fed up of issuing duplicates.

Can I use this discussion thread to ask a related question?

All the DWP info about the travel costs scheme (including the HC11 and this weblink http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/travel_costs_to_hospital.asp )
talks about help with "fares or petrol"
Do clients get any help with hospital car parking fees ?
or does practice vary from place to place? Do people have experience of this ?

alban

Wed 08-Dec-04 09:27 AM by shawn

Car Parking fees should be re-imbursed where they are 'unavoidable' - DOH guidance is available here

Simon

Simon
That guidance is exactly what we wanted -
Thank you
alban

Thanks Julie, the payments office at this hospital have been in contact with their local DWP and whilst they will not provide any information over the telephone, they will provide a letter confirming entitlement on request by the customer.

Simon

Doesn't this just show the problems of direct payment?

I'm paid monthly and I get a payslip - why shouldn't benefit claimants get the same?

I once saw the admin costs of payment - it was something like £1.60 for a giro, 80p for an order book slip, and 0.1p for an electronic transfer. Considerable incentive for the changeover that has now happened in such an imposing manner causing so much upset to so many very vulnerable people.

Travelling to hospital is bad enough, but being on a low income and not sure how you're going to pay and/or get a refund, is really quite disgraceful.

I really can't see why monthly statements can't be issued, in however an abbreviated form.

(It would also give the DWP the chance to tell their claimants to inform about changes of circumstance and thereby hopefully avoid overpayments, although it would also let back in a number of overpayment recoveries which could currently be successfully defended by the abolition of order books and their yellow pages)