Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘Please send me the process instructions, guidance, decision operations, todos and training for Benefits and NHS 'passporting' and how NHS interacts with DWP for confirming eligibility.

For example if you have a UC claim (which is a income related benefit for purpose of NHS passporting) but that month there is no financial payment because your are over that months uc amount, is the claimant still considered on income related UC for that month? What information is held about how it inter operates between DWP with NHSBA, when would you not be entitled if have a UC claim but its not paying?

Please supply the information as held, including guidance held in dental, optician and prescription sides of NHS in this topic’

[On 1 May 2025 you clarified your request as follows]

To clarify, please send me the information you hold on how NHS interacts with DWP for confirming eligibility.

For example if you have a UC claim (which is a income related benefit for purpose of NHS passporting) but that month no payment is due due to the fact Universal credit has a monthly income calculation so some months there is a payment some there is not, but the claimant still has a UC claim.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 18 April 2025, with clarification received on 1 May 2025.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Our response

The NHSBSA collaborates with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) using standardised guidelines to determine eligibility for certain benefits. Specifically, entitlement to claim is contingent upon meeting the following requirements:

Universal Credit: eligibility is limited to individuals with a total take-home pay in their last assessment period of £435 or less, or £935 or less if they receive an element for a child or have limited capability for work.

The NHSBSA works in tandem with DWP to facilitate this process. We provide DWP with citizen data extracted from FP10 (prescription) records, and DWP returns a file with confirmation of whether the individual's total take-home pay on their Universal Credit claim meets the specified requirements.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2025”. Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.