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You may receive help with travelling expenses to visit a relative who is in prison. Any expenses awarded are not taxable. You don't have to have paid National Insurance contributions to qualify.
You will automatically qualify if you visit a close relative in a prison establishment within Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, and:
- you are resident in Northern Ireland; and
- you receive Income Support; or
you receive Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based); or Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
you have a Certificate HC2 (Full Help) or HC3 (Partial Help) issued by the Social Security Agency; or
you receive Pension Credit, including the savings reward element; or
where your gross household income does not exceed £17,434 a year and you are in receipt of any of the following:- Working Tax Credit with the Disability element; or Working Tax Credit with Child Tax Credit; or Child Tax Credit only; or
the person on whom you depend on for your support falls into one of the above categories.
If you are not in receipt of any of the above, but think you may qualify because you are on a low income, you may be able to get help through the NHS Low Income Scheme. You should apply for help using Form HC1.
A close relative is:
- a wife / husband
- a civil partner
- a partner (if a person was living with the prisoner as a partner immediately prior to imprisonment, and has not since terminated that relationship, they may qualify for assistance)
- a mother / father;
- a son / daughter;
- a brother / sister
- a grandparent;
- a step / foster / adoptive parent, child, sister or brother.
You can claim at your local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office or at the Pensions Service, Carlisle House, Londonderry.
You are entitled to claim unavoidable expenses, including the return fare by the cheapest reasonable route and overnight stays if necessary, incurred when visiting your partner or a close relative in a prison establishment.
The Scheme pays for two visits every four weeks, subject to a maximum of 26 visits in 12 months.
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