Prescription charges for over 60s

[herewegogc]

Just found out that there is a government consultation going on about this. The aim is to raise the age for free prescriptions to the state pension age. Ends on 1st September. AIBU to be unhappy that this is being done by stealth? Or have I missed the massive publicity campaign? Fill in the consultation here: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/aligning-the-upper-age-for-nhs-prescription-charge-exemptions-with-the-state-pension-age

Perfectly sensible IMO

I cannot see any reason to not charge over sixties who are on good incomes. I despise the Tories but a working sixty year old is probably better off than a younger person.

That's awful! Where can we object?

Other home nations are abolishing prescription charges.

Does anyone know how much is raised by the charges each year, and how it compares to the total cost of the drugs and estimated pharmacist time? Just wondering if it's drop in the ocean, or major inroad

I think you'll find that such folk are immensely entitled and deserve nowt because young people were in lockdown, so they need to share the pain

I’m much closer to 60 than young. Most 60 year olds are working still and there is no reason to subsidise their prescriptions any more than is already done for all of us (circa £100 to buy a 1 year certificate)

Once they raised the pension age it was inevitable that prescriptions charges were next.

If prescriptions are to be charged for, then it should be all working age people, so this is at least making things consistent.

However, in England too many people can't afford their prescriptions, but that is not an age issue. England has dreadful poverty rates which are ignored by the government, this will be a big issue for people without much money who are 60+.

I’ve filled it out, it’s particularly unfair when other home nations don’t charge at all.

There should be an option for pensioners to be able to pay if they want to. My Mum (like all of her friends) is 87 but well off and would happily pay for her prescriptions.

www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/26/a-million-pensioners-in-poverty-because-of-unclaimed-benefits

@MadisonAvenue

I’ve filled it out, it’s particularly unfair when other home nations don’t charge at all.

It is not unfair that the other home nations have more progressive governments, that is simply the choice of the English electorate. England = Tories, sadly for us.

Many people working over 60 have reduced their hours ( releasing jobs for younger people) so may not have a huge income. Many women in this age group were penalised by the sudden change to pension rules so this is just another thing to contend with !

Seems sensible - can't understand why this is an issue.
I'm in Scotland and we get free prescriptions - though as I don't need any it is of no benefit but I think it's ridiculous. I'd rather see a GP sooner, or have a specialist \consultant at the hospital and not wait 7 months for an op (still waiting it's been postponed due to covid) that should ahve been done in Jan.

Having prescription charges in England isn't leading to reduced waiting times, the two issues are very separate.

What free prescriptions does do is ensure people take medication, resulting in reduced costs in future. Where conditions are poorly controlled, future costs of corrective treatment rise.

When I know of somebody who has never worked a day in her life, has a free home (not council or HA), has her pension, pension credit, private pension, council tax paid for yet is a health hypochondriac and has £100s worth or prescriptions a week, then yes bring this on!
It makes me sick the money being wasted on her getting free medication for
Made up this, that abs the other for years and years and just gets tablets chucked at her!
Even stomach tablets, headache tablets, shampoos, leg shaking etc name it she has a prescription for it.
May make the likes of these people think twice if they have to pay for it.
She is not financially poor in any way shape or form, and has never paid into the system. So to me, she should pay!!

I qualify for free prescriptions and am also eligible to receive medication required for after effects of cancer treatment, free of charge.
However, my GP’s practice will no longer give me these items on prescription as they say I must buy them now they are available to purchase.

It makes perfect sense that people with a comfortable income should pay for their prescriptions, although realistically prescription costs should be massively reduced/abolished for those on low incomes.

There are many ways a person under 60 can claim free prescriptions, the NHS has a means tested scheme called the low income scheme, people claiming state benefits like tax credits, legacy benefits and UC can (if criteria is met) claim free prescriptions, certain medical conditions means that all prescriptions are free using a medical exemption card, there is no reason at all why people aged over 60 and below state pension age cant access free prescriptions the same way.

Having all prescriptions free at age 60 is a throw back when women got their pensions at 60 and men had concessions at age 60 due to age discrimination, the others were the national bus pass and access to pension credit both of these are not now given until pension age - I don't see why free prescriptions should still stay at 60 now the pension age is now 66 and rising

@itsasin77

When I know of somebody who has never worked a day in her life, has a free home (not council or HA), has her pension, pension credit, private pension, council tax paid for yet is a health hypochondriac and has £100s worth or prescriptions a week, then yes bring this on! It makes me sick the money being wasted on her getting free medication for Made up this, that abs the other for years and years and just gets tablets chucked at her! Even stomach tablets, headache tablets, shampoos, leg shaking etc name it she has a prescription for it. May make the likes of these people think twice if they have to pay for it. She is not financially poor in any way shape or form, and has never paid into the system. So to me, she should pay!!

I think you have that wrong pension credit is means tested someone with both a state pension and private pension (how did she pay for that if never worked) would find it difficult to get pension credit, unless she is on savings credit (before 2016)

Someone who is on pensions credit will get free prescriptions, as do others on qualifying benefits.

Intrigued his someone gets a 'free' house though - paid for by spouse or inherited?

@GreatAuntEmily

Seems sensible - can't understand why this is an issue. I'm in Scotland and we get free prescriptions - though as I don't need any it is of no benefit but I think it's ridiculous. I'd rather see a GP sooner, or have a specialist \consultant at the hospital and not wait 7 months for an op (still waiting it's been postponed due to covid) that should ahve been done in Jan.

This. Scotland thinks it's brilliant for having free prescriptions, but we are also having to send people to England for health care because we can't cope (how when we have a population lower than one city in england?), and there are people in agony waiting for operations that aren't likely to happen until 2023 now. Would be nice if they spent money properly up here, but never going to happen.

@VikingVolva - taken from the consultation information, prescription charges raised £600m in England in 2019. That’s from the circa 10% of prescriptions that are actually charged for currently. Around 90% are issued free of charge, with 2 thirds of those free prescriptions going to people over 60.

60 is the new 40 don’t you know.