The NHS Business Services Authority manages the England Infected Blood Support Scheme.

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1 England Infected Blood Support Scheme Guidance on support and assistance grants Introduction The NHS Business Services Authority manages the England Infected Blood Support Scheme. In this document you will find: details of the support and assistance grants available guidance on what support you may be able to apply for Support and assistance grants are one-off and regular grants. They are like the support provided before by the: Caxton Foundation Macfarlane Trust Eileen Trust Eligibility for help Any of our beneficiaries can apply for support and assistance grants. But support and assistance grants are mainly for supporting: those with Stage 1, Stage 2 and Special Category Mechanism Hepatitis C and HIV spouses, civil or long-term partners of deceased beneficiaries Dependent children, who have a parent who was a beneficiary and has died, can also apply. They can get one-off grants to help with education or training courses. To ensure help gets to those most in need, we primarily provide support to those on lower incomes. Categories of grants available The following types of grants are available. Income top-up support Income top-up support will also be available to help people on low incomes, including:

2 those with Stage 1, Stage 2 and Special Category Mechanism Hepatitis C and HIV spouses, civil or other long-term partners who lived with a beneficiary who has died We will provide support to top a beneficiary s household income up to the threshold levels below. We base these on 70% of net median UK household income (rounded up). We reassess the level of support available each year. We base this on levels of demand and any changes in household incomes and inflation. We have adjusted the baseline amount for a household with two adults. We base this on Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) equivalence scales. They help us to adjust the threshold levels based on the size of the household to: 17,500 for a couple with no children under 21 years old 11,500 for a single person 22,500 for a couple with one child under 21 years old 28,000 for a couple with two or more children under 21 years old 17,000 for a single parent with one child under 21 years old 22,000 for a single parent with two or more children under 21 years old 23,000 for a three-adult household 29,000 for a four-adult household This means if there are two adults and one child in your household, you can have your income topped up to 22,500. If you and your partner between you receive an income (including benefits) of 15,000 per year, you can get a top-up of 7,500. We would not normally include a child under 21 in the threshold calculation that: does not live with you the majority of the time is not in full-time education We may include them in certain limited circumstances. We will be able to give you advice on completing an application. You would need to provide details of: your income and any benefits or tax credits you receive the income or benefits your partner or any other adults over 21 living with you receive If you live with someone but do not financially support each other, you do not need to include their income. They are not included as an extra adult in the household when working out the threshold level. Personal Independence Payments (PIP) or Attendance Allowance payments are not taken into account. You should still mention them when you complete your application form.

3 Needing time off work for Hepatitis C treatment You may need to take time off work while you undergo Hepatitis C treatment. Your employer might not continue to pay you in full while you are not working. If you are self-employed, you may not receive payment at all. You can apply for support to cover lost income not covered by benefits. Any grant will be available for up to a year. This depends on the type of treatment you are having (we may extend if necessary). If you are on a higher income, the support may not cover your salary in full. Get in touch with us if you have any queries about this support. Lower value one-off grants The need for beneficiaries to apply for small one-off grants should reduce with: increased regular annual payments income top-up support There will still be cases where beneficiaries need extra support. What grants cover Grants only cover items or services needed due to a beneficiary s Hepatitis C or HIV infection. This could include: health-related support support to help with transition back into work after a period off work linked to the infection(s) We can provide grants, if a spouse, partner or parent has died, for those in full-time education, including: widows and widowers long-term partners children under 21 Grants support costs to help with transition after the infected beneficiary s death. This might include courses to develop particular skills to allow them to get into/back into work. Examples of types of item/support you can apply for lower value grants include: mobility aids lower value health-related adaptations to the home other support or care to help a person remain in their home vehicle repairs or adaptations if a car is essential, for example to get to hospital funeral plans, or in some cases the cost of a funeral

4 education or training courses respite breaks and respite care due to treatment complications prescription prepayment certificates There will be flexibility to cover other items where appropriate. This is if the applicant can show: the need for it how it links to their illness how it helps them become financially independent, particularly after their loved one's death Eligibility You will not normally receive a grant for an item or service if you could get it or funds for it from another public body. This might be: the NHS your local council the Student Awards Agency a Motability scheme In exceptional cases, we will waive this rule. Applicants will normally receive a cash transfer to allow them to pay for the item/service. If you receive such a grant, you need to keep copies of receipts or invoices. Submit them to us for the scheme s records. Higher value one-off grants Higher value grants can support those infected by providing: higher value home repairs home adaptations costs for provision of care at home To apply, you need to first check if your local authority, NHS or other public body can support what you need. They may only provide a contribution or some of the support you need. We may be able to supplement that support. If you wish to apply, you should explain why you: need the repair, adaptation or care support cannot fund it yourself or from any other source These grants would also be means-tested. If you are on a higher income, you may only receive a proportion of the cost of the item or service. This is because we may judge that you are able to make a contribution to the costs. We will assess this on a case-by-case basis.

5 Applicants normally receive cash transfer to pay for the repair or adaptation or care support. For large-scale adaptations, we may pay this in phases. In some cases, the scheme may pay invoices direct to the supplier. Referrals for counselling or advice Besides grants, the scheme will be able to signpost or refer beneficiaries to advice. National Debtline or Citizens Advice can provide debt and money management advice. They are available by phone, online or face-to-face. If you feel you need counselling, we can refer you to appropriate services. This is if you are unable to get an appointment quickly through your GP/consultant. Contact details If you have any queries or would like an application form sent to you, you can contact us: Telephone: You can write to us at: EIBSS NHSBSA 80 London Road London SE1 6LH