Claiming back hospital travel costs

Indie_Kid

As someone on IRESA, I can claim back hospital travel costs I have a few questions:
The appointment is tonight. How would I go about claiming back the money if the office is closed?

Also, they only pay for the cheapest form of transport, which is usually the bus. On what grounds would they normally pay petrol and parking costs? My problem is that I can't cope on public transport, there's not much public transport at that time of night and it would involve walking for a total of about 45 minutes. There's no way I can walk safely in the dark. I have no sense of direction, can't follow maps and can't see that well either. Getting back will be a problem too

lukieboy96

I think they may car parking, you need to show proof. Not 100% sure. I was able to get taxi's paid when I was at my worse as I could not physically get on a bus and find being with people hard. My doctor wrote a letter which the hospital kept on file.

Indie_Kid

Thanks. I did try before and they said I had to get a letter.

We've just come back from the hospital. There would have been no way I could have done that using public transport - there's no public transport which goes directly to that hospital.

tinkledom

sh1305 wrote: »

As someone on IRESA, I can claim back hospital travel costs I have a few questions:
The appointment is tonight. How would I go about claiming back the money if the office is closed?

Also, they only pay for the cheapest form of transport, which is usually the bus. On what grounds would they normally pay petrol and parking costs? My problem is that I can't cope on public transport, there's not much public transport at that time of night and it would involve walking for a total of about 45 minutes. There's no way I can walk safely in the dark. I have no sense of direction, can't follow maps and can't see that well either. Getting back will be a problem too

Use from HCT(5)
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Documents/2012/HC5(T)-april-2012.pdf


Use of a car is limited to an agreed rate per mile. This ranges from 12p to 20p depending on your hospital trust.
Car parking is also refunded.


I don't agree with this but some actually claim the mileage rate and use the money for a taxi instead. Using public transport is always less than the mileage rate so some claim for a car but go by train/bus and make a little 'profit' along the way.

Scotsman-5

tinkledom wrote: »

Use from HCT(5) http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Documents/2012/HC5(T)-april-2012.pdf

bloody hell a person would need a Hospital after all of that .

I was getting daily Radiotherapy for 8 weeks so I asked at the Hospital and they pointed me to a department within the Hospital and was able to claim back all my fares.

I just showed a DWP letter showing I was on IB and Passport confirming my ID and they just paid the daily bus cap times the days I had treatment - as I had a oyster card there is no tickets to show and I certainly did not have to fill out a HCT(5)

I realize that different Hospitals have different procedures - I can only relate what happened to me.

tinkledom

Scotsman-5 wrote: »

bloody hell a person would need a Hospital after all of that .

I was getting daily Radiotherapy for 8 weeks so I asked at the Hospital and they pointed me to a department within the Hospital and was able to claim back all my fares.

I just showed a DWP letter showing I was on IB and Passport confirming my ID and they just paid the daily bus cap times the days I had treatment - as I had a oyster card there is no tickets to show and I certainly did not have to fill out a HCT(5)

I realize that different Hospitals have different procedures - I can only relate what happened to me.

The OP was asking what they would do if the cash office was closed. They would have to fill out the HCT(5) and send it off, or go back to the hospital within the next 3 months when the cash office is open.


As someone on IRESA, I can claim back hospital travel costs I have a few questions:
The appointment is tonight. How would I go about claiming back the money if the office is closed?

Twisted_Cherry

I accompany a friend who is registered as Severely Sight Impaired to her hospital appointments.


We can claim back 'taxi' costs / return fares from the hospital, but in order to do this we had to provide a letter from her GP stating she was unable to use public transport. The letter also states she can not travel alone to appointments because of severe anxiety. Normally they will only pay out the equivalent of a day travel bus pass £5 for her and her carer / and or petrol costs per mile.


Sometimes her appointments fall on a Saturday when of course the cashiers office is close. We have two options, claim at the next appointment within 3 months providing it is not on Saturday OR someone goes back to the hospital Mon - Fri to claim the travel costs.


The latter is what I have been doing. Three times now I have trekked back to the hospital to claim travel costs for my friend on the Monday after the appointment on a Saturday. In a sense I am lucky as I can travel on the bus and it goes direct from where I live, although takes 90 minutes.


Bonus in December my dad kindly drove me there to collect her travel costs, which equal £40 return fare!


We have decided though to ask for appointments in the week, as it is becoming a hassle to go on weekends!

Foxy16

tinkledom wrote: »

Using public transport is always less than the mileage rate so some claim for a car but go by train/bus and make a little 'profit' along the way.

This isn't the case where I am, one of the hospitals I go to, if I travelled by bus, it would cost me £8. return, a relative very kindly takes me, and I get refunded £2.16!!! mileage. Which doesn't cover the cost of petrol used.

lukieboy96

At the hospital I go to, you have to show proof so wouldn't be able to lie.

Twisted_Cherry

lukieboy96 wrote: »

At the hospital I go to, you have to show proof so wouldn't be able to lie.

You could... you could fake taxi costs / receipts and use a free bus pass, sadly I knew someone who did that, and they did not have a care in the world! :mad:

Indie_Kid

Thanks guys. Having done maths, it appears that the car is cheaper. We had no parking charges, which according to the cash office at another hospital, which is why they tend to pay for buses.

I do have a free bus pass. But the person with me doesn't and I wouldn't have a clue (because I can't follow / understand directions) how to get to that hospital.