Financial Help During Serious Illness in Ireland

A serious diagnosis often brings an unexpected drop in income at exactly the time costs are rising. This guide maps the main sources of financial support available in Ireland — and what to look at first. If you'd rather have a plan built around your situation, answer a few questions and we'll build one around you →

Help with medicine costs

There are three main schemes that can reduce or eliminate the cost of prescribed medicines in Ireland. Which one applies to you depends on your condition and income.

Long-Term Illness Scheme

The Long-Term Illness (LTI) Scheme provides free drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances for people who have one of 16 specified conditions, regardless of income. There is no means test. The conditions covered include: acute leukaemia, intellectual disability, mental illness (for people who would otherwise require inpatient care), phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus and other disorders of pituitary function, haemophilia, cerebral palsy, parkinsonism, epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsant therapy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophies, and conditions arising from the use of tainted blood and blood products.

It is important to note that most serious illnesses — including the majority of cancers — are not on the LTI list. Only acute leukaemia (a specific blood cancer) is covered. If your condition is not listed, check the Drugs Payment Scheme and Medical Card options below. Register for the LTI Scheme through your Local Health Office — ask at your HSE hospital or through hse.ie.

Drugs Payment Scheme

If you do not hold a Medical Card and your condition is not covered by the LTI Scheme, the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) limits how much your household pays for approved prescribed medicines each calendar month. Once your out-of-pocket medicine costs reach €80 per month for your household, the HSE covers all further costs for the remainder of that month. The scheme is not means-tested — anyone without a Medical Card can use it.

Register your household at your pharmacy using a DPS card (you can request one at any pharmacy or HSE office). All members of your household can pool their medicine costs under the same card. More details are available at hse.ie.

Medical Card prescription charge

If you hold a Medical Card, you pay a prescription charge of €1.50 per item, capped at €15 per month per household. For Medical Card holders aged over 70, the monthly cap is €10. Children under 18 are also subject to a reduced cap. Beyond these caps, all further prescription items that month are free. Check hse.ie for the current charges, as they can be amended by Budget.

Medical Card and GP Visit Card

A Medical Card is one of the most valuable supports available during serious illness. It entitles you to free GP visits, free prescribed medicines (subject to the prescription charge above), and a range of other HSE-funded health services including dental, optical, and aural care. It is assessed on income and household circumstances — apply online at mymedicalcard.ie or through your Local Health Office.

If your income is above the standard Medical Card threshold, you may still qualify for a discretionary Medical Card. The HSE can grant these on hardship or serious illness grounds where, taking account of medical costs and other exceptional circumstances, it would be unjust not to do so. Your GP or hospital social worker can support an application, and the HSE's medical card assessors can take illness-related costs into account when assessing your case.

People with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of less than 12 months are eligible for an emergency Medical Card fast-tracked without the standard income assessment. This can be applied for directly through the HSE — contact the HSE Medical Card and GP Visit Card team on 0818 22 44 78 or ask your treating consultant or hospital social worker to facilitate it.

A GP Visit Card covers the cost of GP visits only (not prescriptions or other services) and has a higher income threshold than the Medical Card. If you don't qualify for a Medical Card, check whether you qualify for a GP Visit Card at citizensinformation.ie.

One-off and ongoing help

Additional Needs Payment

The Additional Needs Payment (formerly known as the Exceptional Needs Payment) is a one-off or short-term payment available through the Community Welfare Service within DSP, administered at your local Intreo Centre. It is intended to help meet urgent or exceptional costs that cannot be met from regular income or social welfare payments — for example, essential medical equipment, heating in a crisis, or other pressing expenses arising from illness.

There is no fixed qualifying criterion: the Community Welfare Officer exercises discretion based on your individual circumstances. Apply in person at your local Intreo Centre or ask the Intreo Centre to arrange a home visit if you cannot attend. Your hospital social worker may be able to support or facilitate your application.

Supplementary Welfare Allowance

Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) is a weekly safety-net payment for people with little or no income who are not entitled to another social welfare payment, or who are waiting for a DSP decision. It is means-tested and administered by the Community Welfare Service at your Intreo Centre. SWA can be paid immediately in an emergency while a longer-term DSP claim is being processed.

Fuel Allowance and Household Benefits Package

The Fuel Allowance is a seasonal payment to help with heating costs during the colder months. It is available to people receiving certain long-term DSP payments, including Illness Benefit (after 15 months on payment), Invalidity Pension, and Disability Allowance, subject to a means test and other conditions. Check gov.ie for the current payment amount and season dates.

The Household Benefits Package includes an electricity and gas allowance (credited directly on your energy bills) and a free television licence. It is available to people over 70, and to people under 70 who receive certain DSP payments including Invalidity Pension and Disability Allowance. The Free Travel pass — unlimited free travel on public transport — is also linked to many of the same DSP payments. Check gov.ie for eligibility conditions and how to apply for each.

If you can't meet your mortgage

The Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process

If illness is affecting your ability to meet mortgage repayments, contact your lender before you miss a payment. Under Central Bank of Ireland regulations, every mortgage lender in Ireland must have a Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) — a structured framework for how they must communicate with and support borrowers in arrears or at risk of arrears.

Under MARP, your lender must: make contact and provide information about the process; ask you to complete a Standard Financial Statement (SFS) setting out your full financial position; consider alternative repayment arrangements; and give you reasonable time to engage before taking legal action. Common alternatives offered include interest-only repayments for a period, extending the mortgage term to reduce monthly payments, a payment moratorium, or restructuring the loan.

Contacting your lender proactively — before falling into arrears — keeps far more options open than waiting for them to act. Ask to speak to the lender's Arrears Support Unit. If you also hold mortgage payment protection or income protection insurance that is triggered by your illness, that insurer may meet your payments directly — check your policy documents and contact your insurer promptly.

The Abhaile scheme

Abhaile is a free government scheme providing expert mortgage arrears advice and assistance to people with home mortgage arrears. It is accessed through MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service). Through Abhaile you can access:

• A MABS Dedicated Mortgage Arrears adviser who can help you understand your options and negotiate with your lender
• A free consultation with a Personal Insolvency Practitioner, who can advise on whether a formal insolvency arrangement is appropriate
• A duty solicitor free of charge if your case reaches court

Contact MABS on 0818 07 2000 or visit mabs.ie to access Abhaile. It is available to any borrower in home mortgage arrears — there is no income limit.

If you rent

Rent Supplement is a means-tested payment administered by the Community Welfare Service to help meet rent costs for people in private rented accommodation who cannot afford their rent. It is primarily for people with a short-term housing need. Apply through your local Intreo Centre.

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a longer-term social housing support administered by local authorities. Under HAP, the local authority pays your landlord directly on your behalf; you contribute a rent amount to the local authority based on your household income. To qualify, you must be on your local authority's social housing waiting list (housing register). If you are not already on the list, contact your local authority to apply. HAP provides more stability than Rent Supplement and can be retained if you take up employment.

Contact your landlord early if you are worried about arrears. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) at rtb.ie can advise on your rights as a tenant and the dispute resolution process.

If debt is building up

Illness can push finances into difficulty quickly — reduced income, higher costs, and the demands of treatment all combine. Getting free advice early, before arrears escalate, is almost always better than waiting. You do not have to manage this alone.

MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) is the primary free money advice service in Ireland. MABS advisers can help you draw up a budget, prioritise debts, negotiate with creditors, and access debt resolution options. Call 0818 07 2000 or visit mabs.ie. All advice is free and confidential.

Where debt has become serious, the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) offers formal debt resolution options through regulated Personal Insolvency Practitioners (PIPs):

• Debt Relief Notice (DRN) — for unsecured debts under €35,000 for people with very low disposable income and minimal assets. Can result in full write-off of qualifying debts after a three-year supervision period. Applied for through an Approved Intermediary, often a MABS adviser.
• Debt Settlement Arrangement (DSA) — a negotiated settlement for unsecured debts, typically paid over five years with creditor agreement. Handled through a Personal Insolvency Practitioner.
• Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA) — covers both secured and unsecured debts, including mortgage debt. Can involve restructuring mortgage repayments as part of an overall arrangement. Handled through a Personal Insolvency Practitioner and requires creditor agreement.
• Bankruptcy — a last resort, through the High Court. In Ireland, the normal bankruptcy discharge period is one year from adjudication. It involves surrendering assets to a trustee for distribution to creditors. MABS or a solicitor can advise on whether bankruptcy is appropriate for your circumstances.

More information on all ISI options is at isi.gov.ie. MABS can refer you to a Personal Insolvency Practitioner free of charge through the Abhaile scheme if your situation involves mortgage arrears.

Grants and charitable help

A number of charities offer grants and practical assistance to people with serious illness who are experiencing financial hardship. These are often targeted at specific costs — travel to treatment, heating, essential household items — and are not widely advertised. Asking your hospital's medical social worker is often the most effective route to identifying what is available.

• Irish Cancer Society — financial support and Travel2Care. The Irish Cancer Society provides financial assistance to people affected by cancer who are experiencing hardship. The Travel2Care programme provides grants toward the cost of travelling to and from cancer treatment (the amount varies by treatment plan and transport method — contact the Society directly for current figures). Contact the Irish Cancer Society Support Line on 1800 200 700 (free, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm) to ask about financial assistance and how to apply.
• Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP). Local SVP conferences provide practical and financial assistance to people in need, including help with food, fuel, household bills, and other urgent costs. Assistance is offered without judgment and in confidence. Contact your local SVP conference through a parish or at svp.ie.
• Condition-specific charities. Many condition-specific charities maintain small hardship funds or can signpost you to financial support. The MS Society of Ireland, the Parkinson's Association of Ireland, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, and others may have support available. Contact the charity relevant to your diagnosis and ask specifically about financial assistance for people in hardship.
• Hospital medical social worker. Most HSE hospitals and oncology units have a medical social worker based in or attached to the treatment team. They are a key route to identifying charitable funds, hardship grants, and practical support specific to your situation and location. Ask your care team or hospital reception to refer you.

Key contacts

• MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) — 0818 07 2000 or mabs.ie. Free money advice, debt management, and access to the Abhaile mortgage arrears scheme.
• Citizens Information — 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am–8pm) or citizensinformation.ie. Free information on all financial supports, benefits, and services available in Ireland.
• HSE Medical Card and GP Visit Card team — 0818 22 44 78. For queries about Medical Card applications, the LTI Scheme, and the Drugs Payment Scheme.
• Irish Cancer Society Support Line — 1800 200 700 (free, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm). Financial assistance, Travel2Care grants, and support for people affected by cancer.
• Your local Intreo Centre / Community Welfare Service. For Additional Needs Payment, Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Rent Supplement, and other emergency supports. Find your nearest Intreo Centre at gov.ie/intreo.