Financial support and benefits for migraine
Information on financial support and benefits you may be able to claim in the UK if you have migraine.
Migraine and disability – what it means for you
Migraine can affect your ability to work, study or even to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This can bring huge amounts of stress and worry. It can also cause a financial burden. When migraine is having a significant impact on your daily life, it may be considered a disability. This means that you may be eligible for certain disability benefits and support due to your migraine.
When migraine is classed as a disability, it also means you are protected from discrimination and have certain rights under law. We have more information about this on our Migraine, disability and legal rights page.
Benefits for migraine
Which benefits you can claim for migraine depends on your own individual circumstances. This includes whether you are studying, working, unable to work and your age. It also depends on how much impact migraine has on your ability to do day-to-day activities. The main benefits that may be relevant for people with migraine include the following.
- Universal Credit. Universal Credit is available to anyone who is on a low income, out of work or cannot work. This includes not being able to work due to a health condition. You may be entitled to an extra amount if you have limited capability for work due to your migraine.
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP). You may be able to claim PIP if your migraine or another health condition causes difficulties with daily living or getting around. How much you get depends on how difficult you find these activities. In Scotland, you can claim for Adult Disability Payment instead of PIP.
- New Style Employment Support Allowance (ESA). You can apply for this if your migraine affects how much you can work. You must have previously worked and have enough National Insurance contributions. You may be able to get it in addition to, or instead of Universal Credit.
- Access to Work. This is a grant to help pay for practical support with work. You may be eligible if your migraine means you need support to do your job or to travel to and from work.
- Disability Living Allowance for children. You may be able to claim this for a child with migraine if it causes difficulties in walking or means they need extra looking after. In Scotland, it’s called Child Disability Payment.
- Disabled Students’ Allowance. This is to cover study-related costs that you may have due to your migraine. It’s in addition to any student finance you receive. The amount you get will depend on your individual needs.
- Attendance Allowance. This is for people who are above state pension age. You may be eligible if your migraine is severe enough that you need someone to help look after you. In Scotland, you can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment.
- Statutory Sick Pay. Your employer may pay this if you are off sick from work due to your migraine, and if you meet certain criteria. Many employers offer more than statutory sick pay. You should check your organisation’s own sick pay policy.
The rules around who can get these benefits are different for each one. It is also different to how disability is assessed under law. The government website gov.uk (nidirect for Northern Ireland), has more information about each benefit, who can apply, and how eligibility is assessed.
Changes to disability benefits
The UK government is planning changes to certain disability benefits. These include PIP, ESA and the health element of Universal Credit. The changes may make it harder to get these benefits, and fewer people will be eligible. The amount of support people will receive may also be lower. The proposed changes are still under review and need to be brought into law before anything can change. Most changes are unlikely to happen until at least 2026.
Help with travel and transport
If you have migraine, you may be unable or find it difficult to drive. There are various schemes available that may be able to support you or help with the cost of public transport.
Blue Badge scheme
Blue Badges allow people with a health condition or disability to park closer to their destination. Not many people with migraine will be eligible for a Blue Badge. But if your migraine severely affects your ability to walk or causes difficulties with planning your journey, you may be able to get one. It covers you whether you are a driver or as a passenger in a car.
You should apply through your local council.
Bus passes
You may be able to get a bus pass that allows you to travel for free in England, Scotland or Wales, or for half-price in Northern Ireland. How you apply depends on where you live. You can apply through:
- your local council in England
- London Councils if you live in London
- your local authority or Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) in Scotland.
- Transport for Wales in Wales
- NI direct in Northern Ireland.
Railcards
You can apply for a Disabled Persons Railcard which gives a third off train travel in England, Scotland and Wales.
Other travel
You may find that other transport operators offer concessions for people with a disability. For example, National Express offers a Disabled Coachcard, which gives you a third off your travel throughout the year.
Different regions and local authorities may offer other discounts for local transport, such as trams and ferries. Contact your local authority for more information.
Help from the NHS with travel costs
If you pay to travel for NHS-funded treatment or tests, you may be able to claim a refund on reasonable travel costs. You must qualify for certain benefits or meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. For more information see the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS).
Other types of support
Depending on your individual circumstances, you may also be eligible for extra help with:
- healthcare costs, such as NHS prescription charges – the NHS provides more information about when you may be able to get help
- household bills, including energy and heating bills – through government schemes or grants from your energy supplier
- housing costs and adaptations to your home, through government schemes or grants provided by your local council.
The criteria for getting support is different for all of these schemes. The organisations listed at the end of this page provide more information.
Getting advice on benefits
With so many different benefits and types of support available, it can be hard to know exactly what you are entitled to. The best thing to do is speak to a benefits advisor. Organisations such as Citizens Advice, Scope and Turn2us have benefits advisers. You can also find an adviser local to you through the organisation, advicelocal.
You may also find it helpful to use an online benefits calculator to check what you can get. Examples include:
Our Migraine and welfare benefits toolkit has further information on applying for benefits.
Our support services can help with general information and support about benefits for migraine. We are unable to give advice on individual cases, including what you may be entitled to.
Further help and support
The following organisations offer further information and advice about disability benefits and support.
- Advice NI – charity offering advice on services in Northern Ireland, including benefits.
- Citizens Advice – provides practical information and advice on a whole range of issues, including benefits and financial support, in England, Scotland and Wales.
- Disability Rights UK – provides information and guidance on a range of disability related issues.
- gov.uk – information on government services in England, including all types of welfare benefit.
- gov.wales – Welsh government services and information, including benefits and financial support.
- mygov.scot – information about public services in Scotland, including benefits.
- nidirect – information on government services in Northern Ireland, including benefits.
- Scope – registered UK charity providing information, advice and support for disabled people.
- Turn2us – national charity providing practical help for people who are struggling financially.
About our information
This information has been written by The Migraine Trust Information and Support Services team. It has been reviewed by our panel of expert health professionals and people affected by migraine.
Our information has been awarded the PIF TICK quality mark for trustworthy health information.
If you have feedback on our information, please get in touch at: feedback@migrainetrust.org
References for our information are available on request.
Last reviewed: June 2025 | Next review due: June 2028
