Get help with the cost of prison visits

You may be able to get help paying for the cost of visiting someone in prison if you get one of the following benefits:

  • Universal Credit - if your household gets no more than £1,250 a month, excluding housing costs
  • Pension Credit
  • Income Support
  • income-based Job Seekers Allowance
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance

You could also get help if you have a HC2 or HC3 certificate through the NHS Low Income Scheme.

There are different rules for Northern Ireland.

Who you can get help to visit

You can get help with the costs if you’re visiting someone who is: 

  • your husband, wife or civil partner
  • your partner (if you lived together before they went into prison)
  • your son or daughter - including adopted and stepchildren
  • brother or sister - including half and stepbrothers or stepsisters
  • your parent or grandparent - including adoptive and step-parents
  • someone recorded as your next of kin

You could also get help if you’re visiting someone who has not had any other visitors in the last 4 weeks. 

If you take a child with you or someone to help you (for example, because you’re disabled) you might also be able to get help paying for their visit.

What you can claim for

What you can claim depends on how far you’ll need to travel.

You’ll need to include receipts or tickets when you claim.

Travel costs

If you travel by public transport, you’ll get the amount for the cheapest way to travel. For example, if you travel by train but a coach is cheaper, you’ll only get the coach fare.

If you visit a prison in England and Wales by car or motorbike, you can get 20 pence for each mile you travel.

If you visit a prison in Scotland by car or motorbike, you’ll get 30 pence for each mile.

You could also get £40 a day for hiring a car.

Food and drink

If your journey to visit a prison in England or Wales takes between 5 and 10 hours, you can claim £3.50 for food or drink.

If you visit a prison in Scotland, you can claim £4.50.

If your journey takes more than 10 hours, you can get £5.10 to visit a prison in England, Scotland or Wales.

Overnight stays

You might be able to claim for overnight stays if you need to leave home before 6am or arrive home after midnight. You’ll need to get approval before you book.

In London and the South East, you can claim up to £34 for an adult and up to £17 for a child aged 3 to 13.

Elsewhere, you can claim up to £28 for an adult and £14 for a child.

Apply online

You can apply to get help paying for visits that you:

  • have made in the last 28 days
  • want to make in the next 28 days

If you’ve used this service before, sign in using your reference number.

Start now

Contents

You need:

  • the prisoner number
  • the date of the visit
  • your National Insurance number
  • any receipts
  • a prison visit form stamped by the prison

Apply by post

Contact Help with Prison Visits by email, phone or post to request an application form.

Help with Prison Visits
helpwithprisonvisits@justice.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 063 2100
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Help with Prison Visits
PO Box 17594
Birmingham
B2 2QP

Related content