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21/04/2023
Alliance Calls For Free Health Benefits For UC Claimants
The Alliance Party has called for action to allow Universal Credit claimants in Northern Ireland to access free dental treatment and sights tests, in line with the rest of the UK.
Currently, people on UC in NI have to apply to access help with dental treatment, sight tests, glasses or contact lenses, or travel to hospital using form HC1. Whereas in the rest of the UK, this is an automatic entitlement.
Kellie Armstrong MLA has called on the Departments for Health and Communities to bring forward legislation to bring NI in line with the rest of the UK.
Kellie Armstrong said: "Many people in NI do not realise they have to complete HC1. With the increase in the number of people in work needing support through Universal Credit, there should be a more streamlined way to access support with health costs. The current system here still requires the claimant to know how to fill out a form, which form to use and submit to a Jobs and Benefits office for processing.
"I have to ask why NI still has a time consuming process in place when it's an automatic system elsewhere in the UK.
"With the 'Move to UC' phase coming later this year, the Department for Communities staff will be under pressure to transfer many people over to Universal Credit. Enabling claimants to automatically be awarded help with health services, will reduce pressure on the civil service while removing unnecessary red tape."
Currently, people on UC in NI have to apply to access help with dental treatment, sight tests, glasses or contact lenses, or travel to hospital using form HC1. Whereas in the rest of the UK, this is an automatic entitlement.
Kellie Armstrong MLA has called on the Departments for Health and Communities to bring forward legislation to bring NI in line with the rest of the UK.
Kellie Armstrong said: "Many people in NI do not realise they have to complete HC1. With the increase in the number of people in work needing support through Universal Credit, there should be a more streamlined way to access support with health costs. The current system here still requires the claimant to know how to fill out a form, which form to use and submit to a Jobs and Benefits office for processing.
"I have to ask why NI still has a time consuming process in place when it's an automatic system elsewhere in the UK.
"With the 'Move to UC' phase coming later this year, the Department for Communities staff will be under pressure to transfer many people over to Universal Credit. Enabling claimants to automatically be awarded help with health services, will reduce pressure on the civil service while removing unnecessary red tape."
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