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Original poster

AIBU - Should people 60+ be means tested & pay for prescriptions

381 replies

monopoly5 · 28/01/2018 11:05

Considering the NHS is so stretched as are lots of other public services should free prescriptions for the over 60s be means tested?

I agree that the NHS is mismanaged but there is still no money. The tax paying population is shrinking & wealth is increasingly held by the older generations.

Yes there is the argument that people have paid their taxes so are entitled but I don’t believe a 20 year old of today will have any state pension/NHS available to them.

In an ideal world the 1% would be taxed more but can’t see that happening. Don’t we all need to chip in?

OP posts:
Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 31/01/2018 11:25

Are you really saying that they should take up a doctor's appointment and the administration involved in dispensing and claiming from the NHS for a prescription for over the counter medicines that they could just buy from the supermarket or a pharmacy for a couple of quid

I personally dont know anyone who does this

Dont doubt it happens but obviously not everyone with free prescriptions does it

lilly0 · 31/01/2018 11:25

I pay £10 or so per month for a PPC I take 3 items I'm 24 it isn't a lot , means tested yes , it's £10 for as many meds as you need.

Rebeccaslicker · 31/01/2018 11:28

I don't use the free prescriptions for pregnant women because I don't feel I need to.

It's bitten me in the arse now I have to buy diabetic testing strips at a rate of 7 a day and £25 a pot of 50, feckin GD, but I still figure I can afford it so I shouldn't take it out of the pot.

lilly0 · 31/01/2018 11:30

I have narcolepsy I am on a FB support group many people live in the USA I know some who pay 500 dollars a month for meds most pay at least 100 dollars I'm very happy with my £10.40 a month for unlimited and it's very reasonable.

LadyinCement · 31/01/2018 11:35

The thing is with means testing, though, is how would you deal with the situation of pensioner A) has £20K pension altogether and lives in a small bungalow worth £150K = has to pay for prescriptions. Pensioner B) has just state pension but lives in house worth £850K = free prescriptions. And this situation will occur quite frequently.

The Conservatives proposed including someone's assets when assessing home care, and that did not go down well!

Rebeccaslicker · 31/01/2018 11:37

The simplest answer is that people should take responsibility for the decision. You know damn well if you can afford something or not.

But of course most people don't do that. Because the NHS is free Hmm

Bahhhhhumbug · 31/01/2018 11:37

Oh cheers already lost a full six years of my state pension that l was promised at 60 through most of my working life. My local authority has also put back all my pensioner benefits in line with my new pension age, including local free bus pass and lower admission fees to swimming baths, museums and so on. But you crack on and take free prescriptions off me and other women my age aswell as if we haven't lost enough.

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 31/01/2018 11:43

It would help if they didn't charge so much per item I can't afford to pay for my prescriptions because I'm off work sick but one of my tablets I can buy in the shop for a damn sight less than what the pharmacy charges.

BarbaraofSevillle · 31/01/2018 11:43

But younger people will not get their pension until 68 (or older), had to pay to go to university, had to pay proportionately much more to buy property and probably won't benefit from enormous growth in house prices like those currently aged 60 and above and they will be paying taxes to pay for things that older people have that they will never have.

The system as it has been over the last 20/30 years is unsustainable and needs to change.

NewYearNiki · 31/01/2018 11:45

It would help if they didn't charge so much per item I can't afford to pay for my prescriptions because I'm off work sick but one of my tablets I can buy in the shop for a damn sight less than what the pharmacy charges.

Why do you have prescriptions for an otc item?

My GP put me on iron tablets. £8.60 prescription charge or about £2 from the pharmacist. I just buy it at the dose my GP told me to take.

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 31/01/2018 11:50

NewYearNiki the item that I can buy I haven't had on prescription for about 2 years because it's cheaper for me to buy it the other things I get on prescrpriton you can't buy over the counter unless you know of a cheap way for me to get asthma inhalers and antidepressants.

NewYearNiki · 31/01/2018 11:54

unless you know of a cheap way for me to get asthma inhalers and antidepressants.

See the thread I started today about the PPC on aibu.

Prescription prepayment certificate.

£104 A year. Pay it by direct debit over 10 months at £10.40 a month and gets you unlimited prescriptions.

No one seems to know about it .

I didn't.

Now it saves me shed loads of money.

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 31/01/2018 12:05

NewYearNiki I get universal credit because I'm too sick to work I don't have that kind of money going spare but I will bear it in mind if I ever get back to work.

BarbaraofSevillle · 31/01/2018 12:08

But you can pay £10 a month by direct debit, hardly more than the cost of one prescription. Or you can pay £29 for 3 months. You don't have to pay for the year in one go.

NewYearNiki · 31/01/2018 12:09

Oh god. Sad

But isnt it cheaper than buying them all in one go As and When?

Or do you qualify for help with health costs certificate?

NewYearNiki · 31/01/2018 12:11

I'm off work as made redundant. No income.

I would sooner pay £10 a month than get hit with a £35 bill for 4 items. Which is what would have happened if i hadnt had my ppc this month.

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 31/01/2018 12:21

NewYearNiki I don't know what help I get but what I buy over the count I buy in bulk and it only costs me £1.79 per box so I can get a 1 month supply for less than I would pay at the pharmacy. I would rather buy it and save myself some money not a lot of money but every penny counts.

NewYearNiki · 31/01/2018 12:23

But you cant do that with antidepressants and inhalers.

1 costs £8.60 or £10.40 a month for everything you need.

getsorted21 · 31/01/2018 12:23

BarbaraofSevillle

Yes I agree with you. The young are going to have pay more tax & are likely to not receive state pensions till much older & who knows if the NHS will exist for them.

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 31/01/2018 12:36

I know NewYearNiki which means that I dread to think how much me alone costs the NHS. I would get it if I could but after I've paid my bills I have £106 a month left to feed myself and my cats with some months I worry about how I'm going to make it stretch.

mommytoboo86 · 31/01/2018 12:47

@newyearnikki
wow I wasn't aware of this prepayment thing but i dont think this was available for my nan as she's gone (11 years) now but yes she would have welcomed paying for this. She didn't claim for anything else that she was entitled to just the prescriptions as they would have cost £££s of pounds a month at the time.
x

BarbaraofSevillle · 31/01/2018 13:21

Mommy The PPC probably would have been available in your Nan's lifetime, it's been around for decades.

mommytoboo86 · 31/01/2018 14:28

oh really?? they must keep it quiet cos I had never heard of it. the only thing I knew u could do was if u were entitled to a reduction or free then if u got a receipt and filled out a form ud get any monies owed back

SmallBuisnessOwner · 31/01/2018 14:35

The young are going to have pay more tax & are likely to not receive state pensions till much older & who knows if the NHS will exist for them.

I think it's pretty obvious the NHS won't exist in its current form.

Waspi women still are very lucky compared with the deal everyone else will get following them.

crunchymint · 31/01/2018 14:58

We used to pay more tax. There have been tax cuts.
And I am very frightened about the potential end of the NHS. I suspect that will simply mean I will die much younger.