Friend hasn’t paid prescription charges for 10 years - what will happen?

[Kat19899]

Please be kind, this was stupid but unintentional and now is beside herself and remorseful.
She was on JSA around 10 years ago and entitled to free prescriptions when she set up her delivery for repeat prescriptions from the local pharmacy. She became more ill and was out of work for a couple of years, didn’t receive JSA or any benefits during that time. However she forgot to tell the pharmacy she wasn’t entitled to free prescriptions anymore and I guess with the stress/depression of being ill and the pharmacy never querying it she just forgot about it. The other day she got a doctor’s prescription at an appointment, paid for the item at the pharmacy like normal and had the sudden realisation she has not paid for 4+ items per month for about 10 years!

She is beside herself, feels awful at costing the NHS money and very stressed that she will go to court and get a criminal record or jail time. Is this likely to happen?? What should she do? I think her options are to call/write a letter telling the truth and offering to pay in full (it would wipe out her savings but she has the money), tell the pharmacy she is no longer eligible and buy a prescription prepayment certificate and hope no one questions it, or say nothing and hope for the best.
She said she does her repeats online and they get sent to the pharmacy automatically. I’m confused about how this can go unnoticed for so long. She’s willing to fully pay but every time the post comes she thinks it’s going to be a court summons.

I often wondered how this is checked. I have been in pharmacy before and people collect and just say pre payment card, but they don't ask to see it so is it checked somewhere else?

Maybe your friend is being “forgetful” in her story to you. The morally correct thing to do here is to ask her to come clean to the NHS or to shop her. This is a huge amount of money. “Getting away with it” will impact other people requiring medical care.

Not the point of the thread but I was today years old when I realised people pay for prescriptions, out of curiosity what is the cost to you as they are free in Scotland I thought or just assumed England was the same

The problem is that there probably isn't a viable way for her to just admit her error/wrongdoing and pay the bills she missed.

It's likely that her only two options are to keep quiet and hope she's got away with it, or pay fines of roughly ten times the charges she avoided. Morally correct perhaps, but you'd need to be very very virtuous or rich to choose the latter option.

I will never forget the first time I had to get a prescription in England and the pharmacist asked me if I paid for my prescriptions. I just stood there like a Wally and said “ehhh… how would I know that?” She gave me the worst look ever. How was I supposed to know 😂

Not the point of the thread but I was today years old when I realised people pay for prescriptions, out of curiosity what is the cost to you as they are free in Scotland I thought or just assumed England was the same

no, the English (and welsh?) subsidise Scotland’s free healthcare and dentistry as the government is too scared to stand up to them in case they vote to leave the Union. We pay near on £10 a go

If she's not eligible she'd know with a fine in the post pretty quickly.

I paid a prepayment certificate but for some reason it registered to my previous address.

Within a few months I had fines.

I think she must be exempt otherwise she'd have heard by now.

I also take that type of drug for pain. I also take 7 other meds; mostly on a monthly basis. I pay for them all, so it's not an automatic assumption.
I buy a pre-payment cert, though. Saves a fortune.

•Single charge: £9.65
•3-month PPC: £31.25 See more

When I lived in Scotland, I saved a fortune!
BTW, England & Wales don't 'pay for' Scottish prescriptions. Believe it or not, Scottish people also pay tax - and at a higher level - in order to fund such things.

ah thank you! I know I don’t get free prescriptions but I’m on the lower rate of the two for daily living so wasn’t sure if higher rate receivers did! Thanks 😊

Wow that is nuts if I had to pay for my prescription for my condition I’d be a fortune every month in England feeling very grateful and humbled rite now I really never knew anybody in the uk paid. I’m ignoring the comment about England subsidising our free prescriptions as if we don’t also pay our own tax etc it’s funny

I find it so weird that somebody would go 10 years not realising they weren't entitled to free prescriptions, and I really would question how anybody could possibly do that!

Nevertheless. I'm going to assume she genuinely didn't realise. SO what she should do now is just get a prescription prepayment certificate.. There's no point crying over spilt milk or admitting to the last 10 years of not paying.

She's just making a rod for her own back, she will probably get a massive fine, and have to pay thousands of £££ in back costs - and maybe get a criminal record. Personally, I think it should be a statute of limitations on these kind of things. And if they never figured out that she should have paid for the last 10 years, then. she should only get paid be made to pay the last 6 months or something.

The most anyone needs to pay is £120 ish a year with a prepayment cert.

A number of conditions entitle people to free prescriptions and children/pregnant women/the elderly etc and those on benefits also get free prescriptions. It's a reasonable system I think as it stops people being silly and trying to get cheap over the counter meds on prescription

Just start paying from now and forget about it

She’s hardly a master crim and it would cost more in admin to sort it, since no one would know where she should send it

If no one slaps handcuffs on her in the next decade she could Make a charitable donation…

They thought I hadnt paid for one once. I get a prepay certificate, it had expired. I pointed it out and paid but the pharmacy had ticked the prepay exemption bit themselves. I had a letter almost immediately telling me I would be fined. Luckily I could prove I paid it as I had receipts/card statements. Is it likely she still qualifies?

all these people getting fined almost instantly

I don't think they actually do it much compared to the amount of prescriptions there are, it's just a few they pick out.

With me it was that I moved address and there was no record of me living/claiming ESA there (moved in with a boyfriend who wouldn't put me on the tenancy)- so if, as you say, she was previously eligible at that address maybe it helped her carry on.

@Waffle78 if your daughter is on ESA due to being unable to work due to disability then she gets prescriptions free, no need for exemption

When she was ill she would be entitled to free prescriptions because of her low income, but she should have applied for an excemption certificate.

I would just start paying.

I was once investigated but I was entitled to a free prescription.

Start claiming honestly from now on, OP, (or your friend). It's a mistake, it seems unlikely they will pursue it after all this time, start again paying as you should or purchase an exemption cerificate.

This may be an option worth looking into.

Only if you have applied for a medical exemption card. I am medically exempt. A few years ago I moved house and didn't receive my medical exemption renewal letter. The next time I ordered my prescription after it has expired (unknowingly), I was fined. This thread has reminded me to look for my card and check that it's still valid.

I'm on long term medication. Been told that there is a 75% chance I will be on them for life. I am exempt from paying for them as a result. I would check if I was her. Four items a month would be a lot of money. I doubt the NHS is expecting her to pay that.

this is only the case if she is on income related (means tested) ESA or other means tested benefits. Those who are on contribution based benefits don’t qualify for free prescriptions so best to check and not just assume.

this.
I think she’d have been caught by now.
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