If you have paid enough PRSI, the State pays for a yearly dental check, an eye test every two years and help with glasses and hearing aids. Claiming takes a few minutes at your dentist, optician or audiologist.
Treatment Benefit is a Department of Social Protection (DSP) scheme for people who have paid enough PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance). You do not fill in a form: you give your PPS number to a dentist, optician or audiologist on the DSP panel and they claim the money for you.
Who this is for
You need PRSI paid at Class A, E, H, P or S. Insured workers, self-employed people and retired people can all qualify. The number of contributions you need depends on your age.
- Under 21: at least 39 paid contributions.
- Aged 21 to 65: at least 39 paid contributions (260 if you are 29 or over), plus enough contributions in recent years. For a 2026 claim, that is 39 paid or credited in 2024, or 26 paid in each of 2023 and 2024.
- Aged 66 or over: at least 260 paid contributions, plus enough in the years before you turned 66.
- If you qualify at age 60 to 65, you keep Treatment Benefit for life.
- Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can qualify on your record if their gross income is €100 a week or less.
What you need
- Your PPS (Personal Public Service) number
- Your date of birth
- A basic or verified MyGovID account, if you want to check your entitlement online first
- A dentist, optician, ophthalmologist or audiologist who is on the DSP panel
- If you claim as a dependant: your partner's PPS number and a dependant application form signed by both of you
Step by step
- Check if you qualify with the Treatment Benefit eligibility checker on MyWelfare. Click Check now and log in with your MyGovID.
- Find a provider on the DSP panel. Lists of dentists, opticians and hearing aid suppliers are on the gov.ie Treatment Benefit page.
- Book your appointment and say you want to use Treatment Benefit.
- Give the provider your PPS number and date of birth so they can check your entitlement before treatment.
- Sign the Consent Form. This lets the provider share your details with the DSP.
- Have your treatment and pay only the balance, if there is one. The provider claims the rest from the DSP.
- If you claim through your partner, complete the dependant application form together and send it to the Treatment Benefit Section.
How much it costs and how long it takes
| Treatment | What the DSP pays | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Dental exam | Full cost | Once a calendar year |
| Scale and polish | €50. You pay at most €15 more. | Once a calendar year |
| Gum (periodontal) treatment, if needed | €42. You pay the rest. | Once a calendar year |
| Eye test | Full cost | Every 2nd calendar year |
| Glasses or contact lenses | Basic frames free. For dearer frames, €42.37 (single vision) or €84.19 (bifocal or varifocal). | Every 2nd calendar year |
| Hearing aids | Up to €500 per aid | Every 4 calendar years |
| Hearing aid repair | Up to €100 per aid | Once in each 4-year period |
| Medical contact lenses | Up to €500 per lens | Every 2nd calendar year |
Your provider checks your entitlement before treatment, so you know what you will pay before you start. Ask them to confirm the balance first.
Common mistakes
- Going to a provider who is not on the DSP panel. They cannot claim for you.
- Expecting an eye test for screen work or a driving licence to be covered. It is not.
- Mixing it up with the medical card. The medical card is a separate HSE scheme.
- Forgetting your partner can claim on your record. Their income must be €100 a week or less.
- Missing a year. The dental exam and scale and polish are once per calendar year, so use them before 31 December.
You have to apply to the Department before you see the dentist.
For treatment in Ireland, the provider checks and claims for you. You only sign a Consent Form at the appointment.
If something goes wrong
- Treatment Benefit Section, Department of Social Protection, St Oliver Plunkett Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, F92 T449.
- Phone 0818 300 600 or 074 916 4496. Email treatmentenquiries@welfare.ie.
- If you do not qualify on your Irish record, PRSI paid in another EU country or the UK may count. You need at least one PRSI contribution here since you came back.
- Getting treatment abroad? Contact the Treatment Benefit Section before you travel.
- Citizens Information Phone Service: 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.
Related guides
- How to get a verified MyGovID
- How to get a PPS number
- How to apply for a medical card or GP visit card
- How to claim tax back on medical expenses
- How to apply for Illness Benefit
Scale and polish payment rose to €50, with your share capped at €15.
Budget 2027 announced no change to Treatment Benefit. Re-check the fees list in January 2027.
