Type 1 diabetes affects 400,000 people in the UK and its incidence is increasing by about 4 per cent a year. As it is not preventable, the emphasis is on improving the lives of people with Type 1 diabetes and helping them to manage their condition. The NHS spends around £10 billion a year on diabetes – around 10 per cent of its entire budget.

This includes increasing the uptake of education, improving achievements of recommended treatment targets, reducing the number of amputations, and reducing hospital stays by improving access to specialist inpatient support. Furthermore, in 2022/23, funding worth £36 million was allocated to integrated care boards to support more people to receive all recommended diabetes care processes, alongside other NHS Long Term Plan diabetes commitments.

If you have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, you may be eligible for certain benefits, depending on the extent to which your condition affects your life, such as if you need help or if you are unable to work.

If you take insulin or other medication to control diabetes, you are eligible for an exemption certificate to pay for your prescriptions. People in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland receive free prescriptions no matter how their condition is treated, but those in England who manage it through diet are not eligible.

If you are 16 or over and have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition, you may be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). PIP replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA). How much PIP you receive depends on how difficult you find everyday activities (the 'daily living' element) and getting around (the 'mobility' element). You must also be under State Pension age if you have not received PIP before.

If you care for someone with diabetes or have someone who cares for you, you may be entitled to certain benefits.

Anyone with an illness or disability that affects their ability to work may be entitled to receive Employment and Support Allowance, which has replaced Income Support and Incapacity Benefit since 2008.