What an HC2 actually covers
An HC2 is issued by NHS Business Services Authority after a successful application to the NHS Low Income Scheme. It is a certificate of full help with NHS health costs in England.
| Cost | Normally | With an HC2 |
|---|---|---|
| NHS prescriptions | £9.90 per item | Free |
| NHS dental treatment | £27.90 / £76.60 / £332.10 per course | Free |
| NHS sight test | Charged unless exempt | Free |
| Glasses or contact lenses | Full price | An optical voucher towards the cost |
| NHS wigs and fabric supports | Charged | Free |
| Travel to NHS treatment | Your own cost | Necessary costs refunded when referred by a clinician |
The travel refund is the forgotten half
If a GP, hospital doctor, dentist or ophthalmic practitioner refers you for treatment elsewhere, an HC2 covers the necessary cost of getting there. For anyone attending a course of hospital treatment — dialysis, oncology, physiotherapy — that can be worth more over a year than the prescriptions.
HC2 or HC3 — which you get
You do not choose. NHSBSA compares your income to your assessed requirements and issues whichever certificate the arithmetic produces.
| HC2 | HC3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Level of help | Full | Partial |
| Prescriptions | Free | You pay up to the amount stated on the certificate per item |
| Dental treatment | Free | You pay up to the amount stated per course |
| Sight test | Free | You pay up to the amount stated |
| Glasses | Full voucher value | Voucher value reduced by the amount stated |
| Travel costs | Refunded | Refunded above the amount stated |
An HC3 is still worth having
People often bin an HC3 because it is not the full award. If the certificate says you pay a maximum of £15 towards a course of dental treatment, that turns a £332.10 Band 3 course into £15. Read the figure on the certificate before you decide it is not useful.
Who qualifies
The scheme is for people on a low income who are not already getting full help through a qualifying benefit.
You do not need to apply if you or your partner receive:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit, where your earnings in the relevant assessment period are under the threshold
You cannot apply if you or your partner have more than:
| Circumstance | Limit on savings, investments or property |
|---|---|
| Standard | £16,000 (excluding the home you live in) |
| Living permanently in a care home, England | £23,250 |
| Living permanently in a care home, Wales | £24,000 |
Students, part-time workers, self-employed people with fluctuating income, pensioners just above Pension Credit, and people supporting dependants on a modest wage are the groups who most often qualify and most often never apply.
How to apply
The application is form HC1. Most people can apply online, but you must use the paper form if you have more than £6,000 in savings, live in Northern Ireland, are a student with a partner living with you, or have no income at all.
Have these ready before you start:
- Income details for you and your partner — payslips, benefit letters or accounts.
- Rent or mortgage payments and council tax.
- Childcare costs.
- Details of dependants under 20 living with you.
- Savings, investments and any property other than your home.
Apply even if you think you are slightly over
The assessment compares your income to your assessed requirements — a figure built from your household composition, housing costs and other outgoings. Housing costs in particular move the result a long way, so a headline salary tells you very little about the outcome.
Using your certificate
NHSBSA usually assesses applications within about 18 working days of receiving the form and posts the certificate to you.
- At the pharmacy: tick the box for an HC2 or HC3 on the back of the prescription and show the certificate.
- At the dentist: declare the certificate on the NHS form before treatment starts, not after.
- At the optician: show it when you book the sight test so the voucher is applied to any glasses.
- For travel: claim at the hospital cashier's office on the day, with your certificate and your travel receipts.
Refunds and renewal
If you paid before the certificate arrived, reclaim it on form HC5. The time limits are tight:
| Cost | Claim within | You also need |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription charges | 3 months | An NHS receipt (form FP57), which you must ask for at the moment you pay |
| Dental treatment | 3 months | Your dental receipt |
| Sight test and glasses | 3 months | Your optical receipt |
| Travel costs | As soon as possible | Travel receipts |
FP57 cannot be issued later
The pharmacy can only give you an FP57 receipt at the time you pay. If you leave without one, the refund route for that prescription closes. If an application is pending, ask for an FP57 every single time.
Certificates run for between six months and five years and there is no automatic renewal. Diary the expiry date and reapply a month before. If your income drops in the meantime, reapply immediately rather than waiting — a new assessment can upgrade an HC3 to an HC2.
If you regularly pay for prescriptions and are not awarded a certificate, a prepayment certificate is usually the next best step — see our guide to NHS prescription charges and exemptions.
Common questions
What does an HC2 certificate cover?
Full help with NHS costs in England: free NHS prescriptions, free NHS dental treatment, free NHS sight tests, help towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses, free NHS wigs and fabric supports, and necessary travel costs to receive NHS treatment when referred by a doctor, dentist or ophthalmic practitioner.
What is the difference between HC2 and HC3?
HC2 is full help — you pay nothing for the costs it covers. HC3 is partial help — the certificate states the maximum amount you have to pay towards each prescription, each course of dental treatment, each sight test and each pair of glasses.
How do I get an HC2 certificate?
Apply to the NHS Low Income Scheme using form HC1, online where eligible or by post. NHSBSA assesses your income against your assessed requirements and issues an HC2 for full help or an HC3 for partial help.
How long does an HC2 certificate last?
Certificates are usually issued for between 6 months and 5 years depending on your circumstances. Students are often issued a certificate covering the academic year. Reapply before the expiry date printed on the certificate, because there is no automatic renewal.
Can I get an HC2 certificate if I have savings?
You cannot apply if you or your partner have more than £16,000 in savings, investments or property other than the home you live in. The limit is £23,250 if you live permanently in a care home, or £24,000 in Wales.
Does an HC2 certificate cover my family?
Yes. The certificate covers you, your partner and any dependent children under 20 who are included on your application and living with you.
Can I claim back money I have already spent?
Yes, using form HC5. Claim within three months of paying for dental treatment or a sight test, and within three months for prescription charges provided you asked for an NHS receipt (form FP57) at the time of payment.
Where these figures come from
- NHSBSA — NHS Low Income Scheme
- NHSBSA — help with health costs (HC11)
- NHSBSA — check if you are eligible for help
Charges and thresholds change. We check these figures regularly, but always confirm the current rate with the official source before you rely on it. This page explains entitlements, costs and process — it is not medical advice.
Certificate sorted. Now the appointment.
An HC2 removes the cost, not the wait. ViscaCare members get online Doctor access from day one across Ireland, the UK and Europe, with prescriptions where clinically appropriate.
Related guides
NHS Low Income Scheme
Who can apply, the savings limits, and how the HC1 assessment works.
Read moreNHS prescription charges
The £9.90 charge, exemptions, and whether a prepayment certificate saves you money.
Read moreNHS dental charges
The three bands, who is exempt, and how the nations differ.
Read moreRegister with a GP
What a practice can and cannot ask for, and what to do if you are refused.
Read more