Are you eligible for Congestion Charging NHS reimbursement?

Are you eligible for Congestion Charging NHS reimbursement?

Contents About the charge The central London Congestion Charging zone Reimbursements How to claim Frequently asked questions The Congestion Charging zone map 3 4 6 8 10 14 About the charge The Congestion Charge is a 11.50 daily charge for driving a vehicle on public roads within the Congestion Charging zone, Monday to Friday, 7.00am to 6.00pm, excluding weekends and public holidays, and between 25 December and 1 January inclusive. Payment of the daily charge allows you to drive into and within the zone, leave and re-enter as many times as you wish on that day. You can also pay by midnight the next charging day, but you will pay 14. This is only payable online at tfl.gov.uk/cc or by phone on 0343 222 2222. * *Calls from BT landlines cost 4 pence a minute. Cost of calls from other lines may vary. 2 3

The central London Congestion Charging zone How it works You will know when you are entering and leaving the charging zone because you will see the Congestion Charging signs on or at the side of the road. There are no barriers and tollbooths. If you enter, leave or drive within the charging zone, fixed roadside and mobile cameras will photograph your number plate and check it against the database of those who have paid the charge or who are exempt or registered for a 100% discount. Once your vehicle registration has been matched against the database, the photographic images of your vehicle are automatically wiped off the database. There is no charge for driving on the boundary roads around the zone. Congestion charging Central ZONE Mon - Fri 7am - 6pm Ways to pay the 11.50 charge In order to receive reimbursement of the Congestion Charge, you must pay by one of the following options: Online visit tfl.gov.uk/cc Phone call 0343 222 2222 Mobile phone text message initially you have to register by calling 0343 222 2222. Does everyone have to pay the charge? No exemptions and discounts apply to certain vehicles and individuals. Vehicles used by disabled persons that are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty are automatically exempt as well as London licensed taxis and minicabs and vehicles with nine or more seats. Other vehicles such as those used by Blue Badge holders are eligible to register for a 100% discount from the charge. In addition, certain NHS patients meeting specific criteria are eligible for a reimbursement of the Congestion Charge when travelling to an NHS appointment inside the Congestion Charging zone. 4 5

Reimbursements Will I be eligible for a reimbursement of the Congestion Charge? Patients that meet the criteria below will need to pay the 11.50 daily charge when driving to an NHS appointment in the Congestion Charging zone, but can then claim the charge back from the relevant NHS organisation. Transport for London (TfL) will then refund the charge to the NHS organisation. This leaflet and the eligibility criteria below are specific to TfL s scheme for reimbursement of NHS patients and do not cover any schemes that may otherwise be operated by the NHS or other bodies. The NHS organisation where you have your appointment will assess whether you are eligible for the TfL reimbursement scheme, using the following criteria. To be eligible, a patient must: 1. Have a compromised immune system, require regular therapy or assessment, or require recurrent surgical intervention; and 2. Be clinically assessed as too ill, weak or disabled to travel to an appointment on public transport. The Congestion Charge is an 11.50 daily charge. Therefore if you make several eligible journeys in one day, you only need to make one reimbursement claim for that day. I am a resident in the Congestion Charging zone can I be reimbursed for NHS appointments? Residents in the charging zone are eligible to register one private vehicle each for a 90% discount from the Congestion Charge. Registered residents can pay 5.75 for five consecutive charging days, payable before or on the first day of travel by midnight. Monthly and annual charge payments are also available. You can claim a reimbursement of the Congestion Charge at 1.05 per day if you meet the patients reimbursement eligibility criteria. Discounts and exemptions Blue Badge holders are eligible for a 100% discount from the Congestion Charge provided they have registered with Congestion Charging first. Vehicles used by disabled persons that are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), and disabled passenger carrying vehicles that are exempt from VED are exempt from Congestion Charging. Users of these vehicles do not need to pay the charge and do not need to register with Congestion Charging. 6 7

How to claim 1. Pay the Congestion Charge for the day that you drive in the Congestion Charging zone. You will need to keep your Congestion Charging receipt. If the vehicle you travel in to your appointment is registered for Congestion Charging Auto Pay, please remember to pay the charge for that particular day by using another payment method such as the web or call centre and obtain a receipt if you require an NHS reimbursement. TfL will not charge your Auto Pay account if you have paid by another method. We recommend that you pay the charge on the day of travel, in case of appointment cancellation, as you cannot be reimbursed unless you made the journey. Please check with the clinic or hospital you are attending before you travel. If you pay the Congestion Charge online or by phone you will need to make a note of the receipt number. 2. When you apply for reimbursement, you will need to provide your Congestion Charging receipt or receipt number, and the Vehicle Registration Number of the vehicle that you travelled to the appointment in. You can only be reimbursed through the NHS organisation responsible for your care. Check the requirements of how to apply from the NHS organisation. 3. The NHS organisation will reimburse you for the Congestion Charge provided that you are eligible. Transport for London cannot reimburse you directly and you should not contact TfL to arrange your reimbursement. Remember to take the Congestion Charging receipt to your appointment. 4. It is best to make your claim on the day of your appointment, although claims are accepted afterwards provided the form has been completed correctly and a receipt number provided. 8 9

Frequently asked questions Is the scheme for NHS hospital appointments only? No, you may claim for any NHS appointment (including GP appointments) relating to diagnosis or treatment, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. This includes appointments where you are referred for treatment to a private hospital by an NHS organisation. In this case, you must still claim the reimbursement from the NHS organisation. The reimbursement scheme is not available for travel to or from private appointments or treatment paid for by medical insurance. Do I have to pay the charge before I enter the zone? No. You can pay 11.50 in advance or on the day of travel by midnight. You can also pay before midnight on the next charging day, but the charge rises to 14. Journeys paid for on the next charging day after travel will not be reimbursed under the scheme. If you do not pay by midnight on the next charging day you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Please note, you will not be reimbursed by the NHS organisation if you incur a PCN. Will I get my charge refunded on the day I travelled? Usually, yes. You will need your receipt or receipt number with you during your visit to be reimbursed on the day. I am a passenger in a vehicle can I still be reimbursed? Yes. The reimbursement scheme applies to a vehicle used by an eligible patient to travel to an appointment whether they are the driver or passenger. One person per vehicle only can apply for reimbursement. NB. London licensed minicabs and taxis are exempt from the Congestion Charge. Why do I need to provide my receipt or receipt number and my Vehicle Registration Number (VRN)? You must have this proof of payment to be able to receive your reimbursement of the Congestion Charge. The NHS organisation will use this proof to reclaim the money from Transport for London. If you travel to your appointment as a passenger in somebody else s vehicle, you will need to either pay the charge on their behalf or obtain the receipt and provide the relevant VRN. 10 11

I don t have a receipt because I haven t paid the Congestion Charge yet what should I do? You will first need to pay the Congestion Charge. This can be done online at tfl.gov.uk/cc or by phone on 0343 222 2222. The NHS organisation where I had my appointment would not approve my reimbursement claim can I still be reimbursed? The NHS will assess whether you can be reimbursed under this scheme using the eligibility criteria. The criteria were developed by Transport for London working closely with NHS organisations. If your claim is not approved by the NHS then you cannot receive a reimbursement of the Congestion Charge. I have paid a weekly/monthly/annual charge that covers the date of my appointment. Can I make a claim? Yes. You can claim reimbursement for the value of the charge for the day of the appointment. If you purchase a discounted monthly or annual charge, you will only be refunded the equivalent pro-rata rate for the daily charge. My appointment is at a location outside the Congestion Charging zone can I still be reimbursed if I drive through the zone? No (unless you had to drive in the Congestion Charging zone because you are a resident there). Reimbursement does not apply if you did not have to drive in the charging zone. Dartford Tunnel Charge The Dart Charge is applicable to the Dartford to Thurrock river crossing and will launch in October 2014. This charge uses the same red C logo as the Congestion Charge, but is an entirely separate scheme which is not operated by TfL. Payment of one will not cover the other. Please visit www.highways.gov.uk for information. 12 13

Samaritan Hospital for Women Western Eye Hospital Princess Grace Hospital Congestion Boundary of Main roads within Congestion Charging zone charging zone Westminster Primary Charging Care Trust zone Hackney London central London Zoo Devonshire Hospital Uncharged Islington roads Congestion Charging zone King Edward VII s Hospital King s Cross and St. Pancras The Heart Hospital Regent s Hackney London Stations Park Zoo Shoreditch London Clinic Camden Finsbury Islington King s Cross Harley Street Clinic and St. Pancras Regent s Regent s Congestion Marylebone Park Clinic Stations Park Liverpool Finsbury Shoreditch CamdenBloomsbury 24 25 Street Tower Portland Charging Hospitalzone Clerkenwell 26 Station Hamlets Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital/ Paddington Marylebone 23 Royal London Homeopathic Hospital Station City ofliverpool 20 Bloomsbury Street Tower 5 Clerkenwell Station Hamlets 4 9 13 14 19 18 21 22 London St. Luke s Hospital 12 Covent Holborn A13 15 17 Paddington Marble 2 3 6 7 Garden London Foot Hospital Bayswater Soho St. Paul s StationArch 10 16 27 City of 8 Cathedral Middlesex Congestion Hospital 1 11 London Covent Holborn A13 Marble Mortimer Market Charging Centre zone Piccadilly Garden Bayswater Soho St. Paul s Arch Mayfair Circus Tower boundary City of Cathedral The Obstetric Hospital Westminster Piccadilly Maxillofacial Unit Green Mayfair London City of Circus Tower Central London Hyde Park Park St. James s 28 Rosenheim Congestion Wing Charging Westminster Hyde Park Station GreenPark Waterloo Waterloo London The National zone Hospital Residents for Hyde Park Corner Park Station Station 29 Knightsbridge St. James s Neurology 90% and Neurosurgery discount applies Hyde Park Westminster Station Park 31 Victoria Corner Great Ormond Street Hospital Knightsbridge Tate Station for Sick Children Britain Westminster 30 Additional Residents Victoria Tate Elephant & Eastman Dental Hospital Station 90% discount area Britain Castle Chelsea 32 Elephant & Southwark Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital Vauxhall Pimlico Castle Chelsea Southwark Vauxhall Main roads within Pimlico charging zone Chelsea The Oval St. Bartholomew s Hospital Albert Chelsea The Oval London Uncharged Hospital roads Albert Transport for London January 2011 Guy s Hospital Battersea Battersea Churchill Clinic Wandsworth Wandsworth St. Thomas Hospital Battersea Lambeth Gordon Hospital 14 Battersea Lambeth 6 Transport for London 7 1 The Congestion Charging zone map 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 ROAD HA ROW R LADBROKE G ROV E HARROW ROAD 04 WARWICK ROAD A3 08 A 4 0 LADBROKE GROVE EARL S COU ROA FULHAM 04 WARWICK ROAD RT D RD. A217 A3220 FULHAM A3 08 A5 A 4 0 EARL S COURT ROAD A3218 RD. A217 A 3 220 02 A308 A5 A3212 1 A3218 02 A308 A3212 A 41 A5205 MARYLEBONE ROAD A315 A5205 A3217 MARYLEBONE ROAD A315 A3216 PARK LANE 202 A3217 A501 A3216 A3216 PARK LANE 202 A502 A501 A3216 A502 OXFORD STREET 201 OXFORD STREET A3205 EUSTON ROAD 00 201 V A U X H A LL B R I D G E R D. VAUXHALL BRIDGE RD. A3205 A303 6 EUSTON ROAD 00 A302 A3212 MILLBANK A5200 A3212 A303 6 A302 MILLBANK A203 200 A5 200 A5203 STRAND River Thames A3036 A5200 A203 200 A 5203 STRAND River Thames A3 A301 A3036 A5200 A3 A201 A301 A 3 204 A2 2 3 A501 A201 A3200 A3 A 3 204 A23 A501 A5201 BLACKFRIARS RD. A3200 A1 A3 A5201 BLACKFRIARS RD. A1 CITY ROAD NEW CITY ROAD A215 BOROUG NEW A215 A215 A104 I A215 A104 BOROUGH HIGH ST. KENT H H GH ST. KENT RD. RD. A202 A2 A202 A2 A10 BISHOPSGATE A10 BISHOPSGATE TOWER TOWER COMMERCIAL ST. D E. COMMERCIAL ST. BRI G RD BRIDGE RD. A1208 A20 0 A220 6 January 2011 A1208 A20 0 A2206 A11 A11

For more information on the central London Congestion Charge, exemptions and discounts, please visit tfl.gov.uk/cc or call 0343 222 2222. Use Textphone 020 7649 9123 if you have impaired hearing.

tfl.gov.uk/cc Information correct at time of going to print. CC NHS PAT 05/14 Printed on recycled paper