Help with travel costs

Depending on where you live and on your personal situation, you might be able to get help with the costs of travelling to and from appointments and for surgery.

People in England may be able to get help with the cost of travelling to NHS appointments if one or more of the following applies:

  • People receiving certain benefits (for example, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Universal Credit)
  • People on a low income

If you’re eligible for that help and need someone to travel with you, you might be able to get help with their travel costs too.

Find out more by reading the information on the NHS England website.

Travelling for surgery

If you live in Northern Ireland, you can ask the HSC to pay for the costs associated with travelling for surgery (if you’re accessing surgery via the HSC). This applies to travel for appointments as well as for surgery. They may also cover the travel costs of the person who will be travelling with you on the way home from hospital after surgery.

Once you receive your appointment letter, phone the SPPG Patient Travel Team (0300 555 0116) to let them know. They’ll book your tickets for travel, but if you need to stay overnight you’ll need to book it yourself and claim it back – make sure you’ve got written agreement from the Patient Travel Team that you’ll be eligible to be reimbursed for accommodation.

You’ll find more information on this on the HSCNI travel for treatment page and in their travel for treatment info sheet.

Of course, most Northern Irish patients will need to fly to England (or elsewhere) for surgery. You might find some of the information on our travelling abroad for surgery page useful.

Travelling to gender clinic appointments

You might be able to claim for the costs associated with travelling to the gender clinic for an appointment if you’re on a low income or receive certain benefits. You’ll find out more on the NI Direct Hospital Travel Costs Scheme page.

Travelling for surgery

If you live in Scotland, you can to ask your local health board to pay for the costs associated with travelling for surgery (if you’re accessing surgery via the NHS). This applies to travel for appointments as well as for surgery. They may also cover the travel costs of the person who will be travelling with you on the way home from hospital after surgery.

Policies vary depending on each health board – for example, whether they will book the travel and accommodation for you or whether this is something you claim money back for afterwards. Ask your health board to confirm in writing what will and won’t be covered before you book travel.

Contact information for your local health board is available on the National Gender Identity Clinical Network for Scotland website.

A lot of Scottish patients opt to fly to and from London for surgery. You might find some of the information on our travelling abroad for surgery page useful.

Travelling to gender clinic appointments

You might be able to claim for the costs associated with travelling to the gender clinic for an appointment.

This is typically available to:

  • People on a low income
  • People who receive benefits
  • Students
  • People that live on an island and/or people that live a long way from their gender clinic

There is information on claiming travel and subsistence expenses on the National Gender Identity Clinical Network for Scotland website.

People in Wales may be able to get help with the cost of travelling to NHS appointments if one or more of the following applies:

  • People receiving certain benefits  (for example, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Universal Credit)
  • People aged between 16 and 20 and the dependent of someone receiving certain benefits
  • People on a low income

If you’re eligible for that help and need someone to travel with you, you might be able to get help with their travel costs too.

Find out more by reading the information on the NHS Wales website.

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