FOI-02427

##Request

These questions refer to the NHS Low Income Scheme https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme.

1. How many people were eligible for the NHS low income scheme in each of the last five years? Please provide a yearly average and a snapshot of March data per year.
2. What is the NHS BSA's most recent update for the number of people eligible for the NHS low income scheme?
3. How many people applied for the NHS low income scheme in each of the last five years? I would like to know the number of individual people. Please indicate if this is possible - if not please provide the number of applications.
4. How many people are currently signed up to the NHS low income scheme?
5. How many people took up the NHS low income scheme in each of the last five years? Please provide a yearly average and a snapshot of March data per year.
6. How much has been spent on raising awareness of the NHS low income scheme in each of the last five years?
7. What has been the overall budget of the NHS low income scheme in each of the last five years? This question is explicitly referring to the projected costs, or available funds that have been ringfenced for payment to beneficiaries. 
8. What has been the overall cost of the NHS low income scheme in each of the last five years? This question is explicitly referring to the actual costs that have been incurred as payment to beneficiaries.
9. When were the eligibility thresholds for the NHS low income scheme last reviewed?

On 8 January 2025 you clarified the following:

When it comes to time period, would you require data covering the period 2019/20 to 2023/24 inclusive, i.e. the last 5 complete financial years?

Yes please.

Regarding question 5, we do not understand what average you require since you are asking for a total who signed up in each year, it would not be possible to provide an average based on a total count. We wondered if you meant the total who were on the LIS as of 31 March in each year, as well as an average of the number who had an active LIS record across the year, taking account of fluctuations when people join/leave the scheme?

Yes, please provide the total as of 31 March and the average number with an active record across the year to take account for fluctuations.

##Response

Number of People

Please note that we do not hold information on the number of people who have applied for the NHS Low Income Scheme. We do not hold any unique identifier (such as NHS Number) which would allow us to count the number of people who applied. The below responses provide the number of applications/records instead.

Question 1 and 2 

The NHSBSA does not hold information on how many people are/were eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS). We do not hold general information on those in the general population whose income/circumstances would qualify for the LIS. Each claim/application is assessed for eligibility on receipt, or upon someone completing our eligibility checker, found at the below web link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-if-youre-eligible-help 

Question 3 to 6

A copy of the information is attached.  

The figure for question 4 is correct as of 23 December 2024. Please note the number can vary from one day to the next.

Regarding the figures for question 5, the data includes the following:

•	The total new certificates registered in each financial year (column B)
•	The average number of certificates registered each year (column C)
•	The total number of certificates which were active within each year (column D)

Please note that we are unable to provide a snapshot of active certificate holders as of 31 March each year, as  we do not hold information which allows us to provide this. Please accept our sincerest apologies for suggesting this was possible in our e-mail to you of 7 January 2025.

Regarding the figures for question 6, we have included figures showing the NHSBSA’s spend to raise awareness of LIS over the past five years. Please note that other organisations could have spent money promoting LIS, which we do not hold information on. 

We have split the costs out as ‘LIS only’ and ‘LIS including Help with Health Costs and eligibility checker’. This is because we have some activity that was LIS-specific and some activity that promoted Help with Health Costs and the online eligibility checker which both signpost to LIS, so they promote/raise awareness of LIS indirectly.

If this information does not suit your requirements, or you need further information please let us know.

Questions 7 and 8

This information is not held. The LIS does not involve paying or issuing payments to beneficiaries of the scheme. Rather, it allows patients with a certificate to obtain partial or full help with the cost of health, such as:

•	NHS prescription charges
•	NHS dental treatment charges 
•	the cost of sight tests, glasses and contact lenses
•	the cost of travelling to receive NHS treatment
•	NHS wigs and fabric supports 

For more information, please visit the below links:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme 

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme/hc2-certificates-full-help-health-costs  

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme/hc3-certificates-limited-help-health-costs

Question 9

The eligibility threshold for the NHS Low Income Scheme including personal allowances, premiums, fuel and meal deductions are updated annually. This happens in line with the April uprating of the Income Support rates, Pension Credit rates and housing benefit rates. The last update was 8 April 2024.

The earned income threshold limits for qualifying via Universal Credit have not changed since they were introduced in England and Scotland on 1 November 2015 and in Wales on 1 April 2017.

Publishing this response

Please note that this information will be published on our Freedom of Information disclosure log at:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-02427-response

Your personal details will be removed from the published response.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.
Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ 

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2025” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.


Tags: NHS Low Income Scheme
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log