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

[monopoly5]

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?

Scabbersley

No it’s not free. As someone who uses the system I would know. I could try & explain to you but I think it’s a waste of both our time.

Tistheseason17
........and some with little academic ‘brains’ make great success and great earnings in business, some with good ‘brains’ waste their time at school and end up in low paid jobs, some with great ‘brains’ work hard and take lower paid public service jobs _ to serve the public. Some people squander opportunity, some people make decisions to improve their circumstances that others are not prepared to make, some people squander money, some very wealthy people contribute selflessly to charities.......

‘Brains’ = wealth is not a guaranteed formula. Being wealthy doesn’t mean you view those with less as ‘workshy scum’, anymore than being ‘poor’ makes you deserving!

All children in England get 570 free hours per year. It’s usually taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year, but you can choose to take fewer hours over more weeks, for example.

You can get it from the term after your child’s 3rd birthday.

Contact your childcare provider or local council to find out more.

30 hours free childcare
You may be able to get up to 30 hours free childcare (1,140 hours per year, which you can choose how you take).

They do mention free a lot.

🙄

You can roll your eyes all you like! I'm 52 and no idea about how it works! Feel free to explain!

How about the Scottish paying for their prescriptions?

How about checking people have adequate health insurance if they are visiting and need to use the NHS?

Old people shouldn’t be means tested.

"Plenty of “young” working people myself included do not receive child benefit"

Then someone in your household is a HRT.

Check your privilege.....

(Anyone know what proportion of pensioner household have a HRT?)

No but I'd like to see hefty
fines or strike off after 3 missed appointments in a set period for people ages 18-60 that don't turn up for appointments
(Unless dementia no show. Dementia should be exempt. Prehapes other serious illness but I doubt they miss there appointments tbh)

Fines for charges for drunks at a&e and ambulance services.

All scripts that are cheaper over the counter should be scrapped.

Scabbersley

I’ve still not had my dinner but ok.

So take the 15 hours scheme, when my eldest qualified for this the LA provided the nursery approx £4.30 an hour. I was paying I think £11 an hour (£75 a day) so therefore my bill was reduced a bit & I paid the difference. So as I said subsidised.

You can access the 30 hours in a pre school setting but have to pay for lunchtime care, food & nappies etc. Plus preschools are closed for 14 weeks of the year so when both parents have to work to get their hours it’s hard to make that work with holidays. If you use nursery or a CM you need to pay the difference is some ad otherwise they would go out of business.

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@Tapandgo
Key point Is we're not all the same but no person is less worthy if they are poor.

OP some of those 60+ people who are well off have become that way through decades of scrimping. Eg instead of eating 3 meals per day, they ate 2. Clothed kids in knackered, holey jumble sale stuff. Had no carpets or curtains. There are all things my parents and my in laws did. Now, they own their own home and are “well off”. If you said to my mil that she had to pay for prescriptions, she’d probably go without her medication. Plus, it just creates penalties for being careful. People won’t then be careful. Why would you?

Still a huge bonus monopoly

A good deal I'd say. Worth roughly £300 a month? For say 9 months a year? 2,700 pa.

Definitely needs means testing!

Perhaps you should look into how much external contractors are charging for things like changing light bulbs or refilling those handwash dispensers

TrojanWhore

Yes I am aware that I’m a HRT & I mentioned this already. Well i’m not now as PT but DH is & in a few years I probably will be again.

Check my privilege I will likely still be a HRT household once I turn 60 & will be mortgage free. Is my privilege ok when I’m old?

tistheseason
I agree. But I don’t ascribe more virtue to one group over the other, and assume nothing about either group.

The Tory government has long wanted to denationalise our National Health Service ~ it’s not their priority. We should make it theirs.

Scabbersley Perhaps but that is irrelevant to my thread. It is means tested, you can’t earn over 100k.

I believe the policy was to encourage mothers to work & increase tax take up so I’m not sure how much you would actually save. Considering my income means I pay more than 5k in tax & NI the government gets more from me working & subsidising childcare then it would if I didn’t work.

but yes lets just put the whole blame on the patients shall we?

@Oldsu I wasn't putting the whole blame on the patients, I think you misunderstand me. But stockpiling and prescription wastage is a huge issue. That doesn't mean I'm blaming those people, a pp said her Dad stockpiled because he believed if he didn't order one month it would drop of his list, that's not his fault. Which is I why I think medicines use reviews are beneficial. (And as you stated errors can also come from the pharmacy end)

Whether or not those medicines use reviews should be undertaken in large chain pharmacies looking to maximise profit is a whole other debate. Personally I think medicines use reviews should be done a by a pharmacist resident in a GP surgery. Pharmacists are woefully under-used by the NHS.

Don't even get me started on Boots Pharmacy...

yettilegs
The Scottish have this as a priority for their government spending. Unfortunately the government the English elected do not.

rcit

So very very true of so many. Scrimp, save, contribute and get penalised in later life. Very unfair.

Tapandgo But isn’t that the same regarding paying for your social care.

I think the extra costs of treating the advanced illnesses of 60+ patients because they haven't taken medication might outweigh the benefits

Considering I can't get my pension, free bus pass, heating allowance, free prescriptions till I'm 67 ( unfortunately one of those women born in the 50s whose pensions have been delayed due to mess up by government ) I would have to pay for prescriptions if I were not registered disabled cos I'd still be at work! So no over 60 s should not be means tested. Start charging for ambulances being called out to deal with young drunks etc every Friday and Saturday night.