The National Health Service (Welfare Reform Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2017

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 (S.I. 1986/975), the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/818) and the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1104 (W.116)).

They revoke the National Health Service (Welfare Reform Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/97 (W. 46)) and introduce thresholds for persons in receipt of universal credit if they are to qualify for reimbursement of travel expenses and assistance in respect of certain health related costs.

Regulation 13 of the 1986 Regulations makes provision about who is entitled to general ophthalmic services sight tests under Part 6 of the NHS (Wales) Act 2006.

Regulation 8 of the 1997 Regulations provides for a scheme for payments to be made, by means of a voucher system, in respect of costs incurred by certain categories of persons in connection with the supply of optical appliances.

Regulation 5 of the 2007 Regulations makes provision to enable people in receipt of certain state benefits, or on low incomes, to be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in obtaining certain NHS services and to be exempt from paying certain NHS charges, without needing to make a claim.

Regulations 3, 4 and 5 of these Regulations amend regulation 13 of the 1986 Regulations, regulation 8 of the 1997 Regulations and regulation 5 of the 2007 Regulations respectively, so that, after 1 April 2017, a person receiving universal credit without a child element, a limited capability for work element or a limited capability for work and work-related activity element to their award is entitled to the reimbursement in full of certain travel expenses relating to NHS treatment, remission of certain NHS charges and assistance relating to the provision of general ophthalmic services sight tests and the supply of optical appliances, if that person has no earned income or earned income of £435 or less in the relevant universal credit assessment period. A person (or a qualifying young person for whom the recipient is responsible) will also be entitled to such reimbursement, remission and assistance if that person is in receipt of universal credit with any of the aforementioned elements to the award and has no earned income or earned income of £935 or less in the relevant universal credit assessment period.

Regulations 6 to 8 make transitional provision to ensure that persons whose entitlement to reimbursement of a travel expense, remission of a charge or assistance with a cost arose before 1 April 2017, can obtain reimbursement, remission or assistance after that date, notwithstanding the changes made by these Regulations.

Regulation 9 revokes the National Health Service (Welfare Reform Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2016.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.