Huge change for thousands on Universal Credit who need to get free NHS prescriptions

THE NHS is making a big change to the way in which Universal Credit recipients can get free prescriptions.

Those on Universal Credit earning £435 or less per month or £935 or less with children, qualify for free prescriptions.

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However, at the moment, not all prescription forms have a tick box for Universal Credit.

Instead, the box on some forms only asks if patients are getting income-related jobseeker’s allowance, which can cause confusion among those who claim Universal Credit.

Even if you do claim Universal Credit, you still need to tick the box “K” for income-based jobseeker’s allowance to qualify for free prescriptions.

However, the DWP and NHS Business Authority have confirmed that this box will now be replaced by a Universal Credit tick box illustrated by the letter “U”.

So, if you’re entitled to free NHS prescriptions because you claim Universal Credit and your take-home pay is under the limit, you’ll need to tick the box “U” on the new prescription forms.

If you paid for a previous prescription you were entitled to for free because of the confusion caused by the old forms, you can request a refund.

How do I request a refund on NHS prescription charges?

If you paid for a prescription before finding out you were entitled to it, you might be able to claim a refund.

Refunds must be claimed within 3 months of the date you made payment.

To claim a prescription refund, you must ask your pharmacist for a “FP57” refund receipt when you pay, you cannot get one later.

Take your FP57 receipt and proof you were entitled when the prescription was collected to any pharmacy.

The pharmacy will issue your refund directly.

How can I cut my prescription costs?

There are ways to save money on prescriptions and, in some cases, get them for free.

f you live in England, you can get free prescriptions if you’re in one of the following groups:

• You’re aged 60 or over
• You’re aged under 16 or are 17 or 18 and in full-time education
• You’re pregnant or had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate
• You have a specific medical condition and have valid medical exemption card
• You have a continuing physical disability that prevents you going out without help from another person and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
• You hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
• You are an NHS inpatient

You can also get free prescriptions if you or your partner are claiming certain benefits, or if you’re aged under 20 and dependent on someone claiming certain benefits, including:

• Income support
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Pension credit
• Universal Credit and meet the criteria

You won’t always be eligible for free prescriptions if you are on Universal Credit, as it depends on your income.

You can also get free prescriptions if you are entitled to an NHS tax credit exemption certificate.

You qualify for one of these if you receive child tax credits or working tax credits (including a disability or severe disability element).

Those ineligible for free prescriptions can still make savings by purchasing a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC).

It’s essentially a season ticket which you pay for once and you can use to cover any prescriptions you need for one year.

You can also get them to cover three months.

A one-year PPC costs £111.60, while a three-month PPC will set you back £31.25.

You can buy them on the NHS Business Services Authority’s website or via a registered pharmacy.

The point at which you start saving money with the three-month PPC is after buying four or more prescriptions.

With the one-year PPC, you start making savings after 12 or more purchases.

So, if you need a lot of prescriptions every year, a PPC can definitely be worth your time.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk