Apply for Special Category Mechanism for hepatitis C stage 1
If you have hepatitis C stage 1 and are registered with us, you can apply for a Special Category Mechanism (SCM). The SCM could give you higher annual payments.
You may be eligible if your:
- infection, its treatment or associated conditions, has a long-term negative impact on your ability to carry out daily activities
- condition has worsened, but is not stage 2
SCM recognises the impact of your infection and linked conditions and the effects of treatment. The scheme aims to respond to your changing health and needs.
How much you could get
If you’re currently a stage 1 beneficiary and successfully apply for SCM, you can claim:
- regular payments - currently £32,555 a year
- winter fuel costs of £618 once a year
These rates are for the financial year 2023/2024. The payment amounts and assessment criteria may be reviewed in the future. This helps us respond to the changing needs of beneficiaries and latest clinical evidence.
Check if you're eligible
You may qualify for regular payments, equivalent to those receivable at Stage 2 if:
- you’re a successful stage 1 applicant
- you feel the infection, its treatment or associated conditions has a long-term negative impact on your ability to carry out daily activities
- the infection has worsened, but is not covered by the stage 2 conditions
If your SCM application is refused, you can reapply if your condition has worsened.
You'll need to confirm that you have:
- an autoimmune disease which was due to, or worsened by, interferon treatment. This includes coombes positive haemolytic anaemia, idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis of the lung and rheumatoid arthritis
- sporadic porphyria cutanea tarda (causing photosensitivity with blistering)
- immune thrombocytopenic purpura, if autoimmune with antiplatelet antibodies
- type 2 or 3 mixed cryoglobulinaemia, if accompanied by cerebral vasculitis, dermal vasculitis or peripheral neuropathy with neuropathic pain
- been affected in performing your daily duties due to the infection or the treatment
How to apply
To apply you'll need to download and complete an application form for Special Category Mechanism payments (PDF: 194KB).
Alternatively, we can post an application form to you. To request this, contact us.
Medical practitioner's evidence
As part of the application, we'll need a medical practitioner to provide evidence for the answers you give on the application form.
This should be your hospital hepatologist doctor or viral hepatitis nurse. If you are not under the care of either you may wish to discuss your application with your GP. They may be able to refer you or provide the information we need.
The medical practitioner completes the form to confirm your current condition.
Endorsement of your application without evidence
It may be that the medical practitioner cannot, or does not, provide evidence for any elements of your answers. They may provide an endorsement based on professional judgement or balance of probability.
In this case, your application will go to a clinical assessor to review. They'll provide advice on how best to proceed. We'll write to you to give:
- an indication of how long this will take
- reassurance that, if your application is approved, we'll backdate payments to when we received your application
What happens next
We'll aim to provide a decision on all applications within 30 working days. It may take longer if we need to ask you or your doctor for further information.
If the evidence clearly supports your answers on the application form, a clinical assessor will approve your application.
If your medical practitioner provides an endorsement only, a clinical review will need to take place. A clinical assessor will decide whether to approve your application.
If your application is unsuccessful
If you wish to appeal the decision, you should contact us within 3 months from the date on the letter. We may consider appeals received after 3 months, but only if you can provide a good reason for not contacting us earlier.
Find out how to appeal.
Apply for hepatitis C stage 2 support
The scheme recognises that if you're living with hepatitis C stage 2 you will face extra costs managing your infection, any linked conditions and the effects of treatment.
How much you could get
You may already be a claimant with us for hepatitis C stage 1. If you progress to hepatitis C stage 2 you can apply for stage 2 payments. This is on top of the £50,000 you should already have received for stage 1.
If you have hepatitis C stage 2 you can claim a lump sum of £20,000. You'll also receive regular payments, which are currently £32,555 a year, plus £618 winter fuel costs.
These rates are for the financial year 2023/2024. The payment amounts and assessment criteria may be reviewed in the future. This helps us respond to the changing needs of beneficiaries and the latest clinical evidence.
Check if you're eligible
You can apply to the scheme for hepatitis C stage 2 if you have or have had:
- cirrhosis of the liver
- primary liver cancer
- B-cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- type 2 or 3 cryoglobulinemia accompanied by membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN)
- if you have received, or are on the waiting list for, a liver transplant
If you were infected with hepatitis C as a result of NHS treatment
You'll need to confirm:
- you have hepatitis C stage 2
- you're living in England, or lived in England immediately before you moved out of the UK
- you have not already received any payments from another UK scheme
- you are not currently eligible to receive funds from another scheme
- it's likely that you got hepatitis C as a result of NHS treatment in the UK before September 1991 (in the form of a blood transfusion, a tissue transplant or blood products)
If you were infected with hepatitis C by someone infected by NHS blood
You'll need to confirm:
- you have hepatitis C stage 2
- you live or lived in England
- it's likely that the infection came from someone infected by NHS blood (the person must receive payments from us or the Skipton Fund - if they don’t, they will need to apply to us first)
- how you contracted the infection
You could have contracted the infection by:
- sexual transmission
- mother to baby
- accidental needlestick injury
If you contracted the infection from sexual transmission, you must also confirm:
- you were with the person who infected you at the time, either in marriage, civil partnership or long-term relationship, and living together
- your spouse or partner were unaware they had the infection, or you both took reasonable precautions to prevent transmission at the time you contracted the infection
How to apply
To make a claim you need to download and complete a hepatitis C stage 2 application form (PDF: 190KB).
Alternatively, we can post an application form to you. To request this, contact us.
Medical practitioner’s evidence
As part of the application, we will need a medical practitioner to provide evidence for the answers you give on the application form.
This should be a hepatitis C clinical specialist. If you're not under the care of a specialist, you may want to discuss your application with your GP. They may be able to refer you or provide the information we need.
The medical practitioner will complete the form to confirm you have hepatitis C stage 2.
We cannot approve your application if it is sent to us with:
- no evidence
- insufficient evidence
What happens next
We'll aim to provide a decision on all applications within 30 working days. It may take longer if we need to ask you or your doctor for further information.
If the evidence clearly supports your answers on the application form, we'll approve your application for hepatitis C Stage 2 support.
You'll then receive your lump sum and your regular payments will start. Your regular payments will backdate to the date we received your application.
If your application is unsuccessful
If you wish to appeal the decision, you should contact us within 3 months from the date on the letter. We may consider appeals received after 3 months, but only if you can provide a good reason for not contacting us earlier.
Find out how to appeal.