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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I shouldn't have to pay this?

44 replies

tireddotcomdot · 06/01/2019 21:12

Maternity exemption certificate - didn't realise I needed an actually certificate or to apply for this before claiming free prescriptions. Wasn't until the third time I did claim that the pharmacy questioned where it was and explained I needed to apply. I applied straight away following this.
I have now received a penalty charge for claiming prescriptions prior to having the exemption card. States if I have since got the card I will not have to pay the penalty just the prescription cost.
AIBU in thinking it is unfair to have to pay this cost as at the time of the claim I was eligible just hadn't applied and it's not as though the card is valid for 12 mi this from the date of application so I am missing out on 3 months of free prescriptions that I shouldn't have had to pay. Has anyone else had this issue and challenged it? If so what was the outcome?

OP posts:
LosingLola · 06/01/2019 21:24

When you tick the box on the back of the prescription, it says "valid maternity exemption certificate". So if you'd read it, you'd have realised you don't have one. And by signing the prescription, you declared that the box you ticked was truthful.

So no, you do have to pay the fine.

Bluntness100 · 06/01/2019 21:26

Well eh yeah you have to pay it, Hmm

Thehop · 06/01/2019 21:26

Yabu but I understand your thinking

britnay · 06/01/2019 21:28

I think I was given the form to fill in from it from my midwife at the booking in appointment (along with a big bundle of other bits of paper)

BunsOfAnarchy · 06/01/2019 21:28

Ring them up.
I was messed about with mine. I had sent mine off when 6 weeks pregnant and by 12 weeks i needed shit tonnes of medication.
I ticked box on prescription then about 4 weeks later recieved a fine. Got new form and re-sent it and they send me a card within 2 days. Fines were written off.

Kummerspeck · 06/01/2019 21:29

Ignorance is no defence in law
You signed that you did not need to pay because you had a valid certificate when you didn't. It was your job to apply for this and, in the eyes of the law, ignorance of that fact does not excuse you

Nothisispatrick · 06/01/2019 21:29

My midwife did the application for me, i filled a form out at my booking appointment and she sent it off.

Sounds like you weren’t given very good information on how it works.

PawPawNoodle · 06/01/2019 21:29

You pay for the prescriptions until the card comes and apply to have the money reimbursed for the time you have been eligible. In my experience they sorted the application form at the first GP visit. Why would you think that the pharmacy/NHS would know you're pregnant without verification?

Original poster
tireddotcomdot · 06/01/2019 21:30

LosingLola - I did read it but I thought I had this already in with the pile of things given to me by my first midwife (it was mentioned but she never said I had to apply). Hence as soon as someone actually told me I needed to apply, I did. Just seems very unfair that I was entitled at the time and it wasn't made clear to me at all, along with other things my first midwife did that weren't right - she then seemed to disappear and I was just told 'oh you won't be seeing her again'. Feel very annoyed with it at the moment.

OP posts:
Original poster
tireddotcomdot · 06/01/2019 21:33

I even paid for a couple of prescriptions whilst pregnant, I mentioned this to said midwife and she said oh you shouldn't pay you're exempt- but even then didn't explain I had to apply!

OP posts:
Happilyacceptingcookies · 06/01/2019 21:33

What happened when you picked up the medication? Did you tick the box thinking you were exempt?

I was in exactly the same position as you. When I went to collect the medication I told the dispenser I didn't have my card yet. She said it was fine and told me just to tick it anyway! And then I got a fine. I appealed the fine with NHSBA and they waived it but told me I still owed the prescription cost. I contacted Practice Manager and Pharmacy manager and complained about being wrongly advised.

I was ignorant of the process, yes. But I also didnt think I should have been told by an actual dispenser that it would be fine because I took that to mean that this happens all the time to women who haven't received their cards yet!

pastabest · 06/01/2019 21:34

Well it's a bit like trying to claim money back for train fares you incurred before deciding to buy a rail card. You might have always been eligible for the railcard, but you didn't have one so you paid the full fare.

Same with maternity exemption, you were eligible, it's not their fault you failed to apply for one.

Hannnnnnnxo · 06/01/2019 21:38

Yes you need to pay.

You’re given free prescriptions by virtue of holding a valid exemption certificate - not because you’re pregnant. It’s that simple and you’re somehow missing that distinction! You should have sorted the certificate out earlier frankly,

If you claim for free prescriptions, it’s your ultimate responsibility to make sure that you’re eligible for free prescriptions - no one else’s. If you’re in doubt, the advice is to pay and request a refund form to get a refund when your certificate comes through.

To be honest I think they’ve handled this fairly by only asking for the prescription cost and no further penalty. They’re essentially just asking you to make this right by doing what you should have done in the first place. If they were being nasty, they would have added fees like they do to others who wrongly claim for free prescriptions.

potatoscone · 06/01/2019 21:38

I'm sorry but I don't think you can blame this on the midwife for not spoon feeding you. The information was available.

Original poster
tireddotcomdot · 06/01/2019 21:38

Happilyacceptingcookies - yes. Nobody asked for a card the first few times. When they did it was then explained I should have applied. I totally blame the midwife as the lack of support and help from her was dreadful. I think I'm going to end up just paying the prescription charges but still think it stinks!

OP posts:
ChocolateChipMuffin2016 · 06/01/2019 21:42

I made the same mistake in my first pregnancy, though I was at the dentist. I paid as it was my mistake I did not read the form correctly. I think you’re just going to have to suck it up and pay it. Now you know for future.

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 06/01/2019 21:46

Congratulations on pg
It’s unfortunate,but you’ll have to pay the fine

starzig · 06/01/2019 21:50

You are lucky to get off with just having the prescription to pay. You have basically lied on the back of the form (twice)

Lollicent · 06/01/2019 21:51

Write them a letter. I had a similar thing happen when I developed a condition that meant I no longer pay for prescriptions.
Write and explain the situation and you should be OK.

Flowerpower220394 · 06/01/2019 21:52

You have to pay, simple as that :)

Decisionmakeragain · 06/01/2019 21:52

That’s not how it works ?? I was able to claim free prescriptions before receiving my maternity exemption card ??

Decisionmakeragain · 06/01/2019 21:54

Mine was backdated ?

Torsz · 06/01/2019 21:59

They're backward by a month but not 3...
I was given a form along with everything else at my first midwife appointment, but I had to send it off myself. I paid for prescriptions in the meantime to avoid the risk of being fined if my form got lost in the post etc - I just got a receipt to allow me to claim the money back when my form arrived.
It's frustrating but I'd pay up - and be grateful that they're cancelling the fine as technically you should be paying that too!

Torsz · 06/01/2019 21:59

*backdated

ChocolateWombat · 06/01/2019 22:01

The thing is, it is up to you to read all the information provided and act on it. You are an adult about to become a parent and need to take personal responsibility.

I can see this is a bit galling but I think the fact that you can avoid the fine and just pay the prescription charge is getting away lightly. As a previous poster says, being pregnant doesn't exempt you, holding the card does .....and you didn't.

I'd just say that with pregnancy and parenthood there is a lot of info to get your head round. Set your mind now to the fact that you need to read everything you're given and keep up to speed. It will be your responsibility and looking to blame others isn't the way forward. To get child benefit, you'll have to claim. In order to get a nursery or school place, you'll have to apply....it will be up to you to be informed and take action and not someone else.

Just chalk this up to experience. Realise you failed to read the information and so now you bear the cost of a couple of prescriptions. It could have been worse. And if you're hard up for cash, it's even more important to get on top of these things and read up on things like maternity pay and entitlements and how to claim them. Realise you're an adult and it won't be the responsibility of health professionals to spell it all out to you and you have to be a bit pro-active.

If you haven't applied for the card still, do it right away, pay what you owe and move on. And get beyond this attitude if looking to blame someone else.

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