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There are many of options available to help people struggling to pay for NHS prescriptions
FREE PRESCRIPTIONS: NHS presciptions can be costly but there are schemes to help (Image by Ridofranz/Getty)
Prescriptions can often be an unexpected expense, especially as pressure on household finances is on the rise.
Anyone who needs multiple prescriptions a year could be feeling the squeeze as the cost of living crisis continues to skyrocket. And many people may be starting to worry about how they are going to afford bills and medication.
But there are a number of options available for people who are struggling to pay for medications. From NHS exemptions to pre-payments that could make your prescription cheaper, it is worth taking a look below to see how you can be helped.
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Some people are actually eligible for free NHS prescriptions. People can be eligible for this if, at the time the prescription is dispensed, you:
People who are on or have a partner who is receiving some form of benefit may also be entitled to free prescriptions. People under the age of 20 who are dependent on a person with benefits are also eligible.
Eligible benefits are:
Free prescriptions are also available for people with a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate – those who do not have the certificate can show their award notice. People who qualify for Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits with a disability element and have income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less.
Anyone with a valid NHS certificate can be eligible for full help with health costs as well. And people names on the NHS certificate could be granted partial help.
Some medical conditions also grant people free NHS prescriptions. Anyone who is eligible for this will be given a medical exemption certificate, which takes the form of a credit card size card.
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These medical conditions are:
Find out more about medical conditions eligible and how to apply for a medical exemption certificate here.
If you are not eligible for any of these, then there is still the option of pre-paid prescription available. This will make them cheaper and more affordable.
A prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) can be a handy way to pay if you know you are going to be receiving a lot of NHS prescriptions. A PPC will cover you and your NHS dental prescriptions, not matter how many items you may need.
There are 2 PPC options to choose from:
Anyone looking to purchase a PPC should make sure they do it in plenty of time, or they could end up paying the full expense for prescriptions. You can buy a PPC online and they become valid immediately.
You can also enquire about this via phone call by calling the PPC order line on 0300 330 1341.
You can read more about who can get free medical prescriptions here and use the eligibility checker.
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25/10/2022