NHS Dental Fine

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My husband has terminal cancer - Liposarcoma and has only just managed in September to finally see a dentist. He asked if he should still pay for the treatment as he has done for years,  but as he now receives ESA and PIP he was told by the dentist that it was free, so very shocked and upset this week to receive a letter saying that the NHS didn’t think he was eligible for free dental treatment and that there is in fact two types of ESA benefit, one is eligible and one is not. Turns out it looks like he gets the one with no eligibility for free dental care which we had no idea about and took the dental practice’s advice. We now face a fine of £100 on top of the dental fee.  Wondered if anybody else had any similar experiences or what we can do about it. 

  • Hi  ,

    Thanks for getting in touch. I’m so sorry to hear about your Husband’s diagnosis.

    As part of our Money and Work Team, we have a dedicated group of Welfare Rights Advisers that I feel would be good for you to talk too. They can clarify the dental care eligibility and support you with this. They can also check if you or your husband are entitled to state benefits and can help to access other financial support, such as one-off grants to help with those extra costs. You can contact them on freephone 0808 808 0000 and they’re available weekdays 8am – 8pm and weekends 9am – 5pm. If you’d prefer you can also contact them via webchat here by selecting “Chat to us” and then the “Welfare Benefits & Grants” option.

    They will ask you for some financial details such as your household income, amount of any savings, cost of rent/mortgage, council tax and utilities just to see if any other help is available.

     

    I think it would also be a good idea to have a more in-depth conversation with our Financial Guidance Team. Our Financial Guidance Team can offer information and guidance on all aspects of your personal finances to help you make informed decisions in the following areas;

    Pensions and retirement options

    Questions about insurance policies

    Mortgages and money management

    Arranging wills and trusts to protect your family

    General financial planning question

    To speak to the Financial Guidance team, call us on 0808 808 000, then select options 1 then 2 then 1 again. Our team are available Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm. Alternatively you can also speak to us on Webchat too by clicking here

     

    Yours Sincerely,

     

     

     

    Joe 
    Financial Guide