To think blanket free prescriptions for over 60s NEED to end?

[Idratherbepaddleboarding]

I know this will be controversial but I popped to the doctors in my lunch break to collect my prescription and joined a longish queue. Everyone in front of me was over 60 and collecting huge bags of medications and I was the only one paying for any of it.

I don’t dispute that I should have to pay but often I can’t afford it which has led to me having to miss days of my medication, leaving me feeling very emotional and at times suicidal (medication is for depression). Perhaps if everyone who has over a certain income had to pay, they’d be able to lower the prescription charge for everyone or be able to afford the pay rises they say they can’t afford for nurses and junior doctors.

The killer was that every single one of the people in front of me got back into massive, brand new SUVs, one couple into a Range Rover and another into a Jaguar. If they can afford to own (and run!) cars like that, paying for a prescription would be a drop in the ocean for them. AIBU to think that free prescriptions should be limited to those in pension credit just like Universal Credit?

When DH’s grandad died, his mum and auntie shared out his collection of prescription paracetamol and ibuprofen (I know they should be returned to the pharmacy but they’d only have been destroyed and both are ex nurses so I guess they know what they’re doing). I’m not joking, there were boxes and boxes of the stuff, we didn’t buy painkillers for years and these will have cost the NHS a lot more than they would from the supermarket and weren’t even taken by the person that they were intended for! Surely paracetamol and ibuprofen should not be available on the NHS at all?

I really don’t want to bash the over 60s and it wouldn’t be a vote winner for politicians but surely we can’t afford to keep free prescriptions for those that can afford them?

What surprised me when I had a thyroidectomy at around age 50 I was given an exemption card that allowed me free medication for life. Not juts the thyroxine I have to take as a result but every medication for everything, however little relation the condition bore to the thyroid. That did seem strange,

I would think that the majority of pensioners can fathom that quality of life is getting worse. Declining quality of life is not exclusive to the working aged population, retired folks have noticed that the quality of their life is getting worse as well.

Notwithstanding the free prescriptions (its not just over 60s who get them free, children, pregnant, some long term conditions, those on benefits. There is a very small pool of people who pay for prescriptions), everyone gets free healthcare, but a number of older people are more likely to have to pay for additional services not provided by the NHS. They may get free eye tests, but still have to pay for glasses. The majority of people do not require glasses until they get older. Footcare including trimming of toe nails, issn’t something that younger folk have to think about, but a lot of older people can’t manage to do this themselves and have to pay for this, other than in limited circumstances. There are costs associated with getting older that younger people don’t even think of, but with a fixed limited income paying can be challenging. Free bus passes were introduced for a reason, do we really want folks driving when they should have given up, older people costing more due to declining well being as they are isolated as they can’t get out and the costs associated with that? How do they manage to do their shopping and remain independent? At least with the cost of living crisis, they may now be able to meet the minimum spend required for a supermarket delivery, assuming of course they are on line, or have someone who can help them order.

By all means, make the over 60s pay for their prescriptions, but once that is gone, the poorer younger generations will also loose out as they get older. So many are saying how badly off the younger generations are, so lets shoot ourselves in the feet and make all of our lives worse as we get older. Let’s allow older folk deprive themselves of medication from fear that they can’t afford it (its only £10 a month, but for a lot of pensioners that is still prohibitive). Do we really want to end up in a position where it then costs more in terms of health and social care and a poor quality of life, not just for them, but for ourselves as well?

If my DD waited for me to die to inherit its possible she could be 80 years old by that time. I'm saving now and will be gifting the house deposit in her early adulthood vs her waiting for that long.

Well it is a SUV, so we know the OPs opinion. But I suggested it as his previous vehicle was a focus estate or mondeo and he really struggled getting in and out of the seat as it was too low.

That's good but a lot of people aren't going to do that and even if they do I think people would prefer to buy their own houses with their own earnings rather than be given money by their parents.

Honestly it's ridiculous that people just call "agism" at the idea that older people should have to pay their way WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO in the same way that younger people do. They would not be paying hundreds per month as they could get a prepayment cert just like younger people have to. And it's absolutely true that as a demographic older people are generally richer than younger ones. And obviously through no fault of their own they cost the NHS a lot more.
I really can't believe it would cost much more to administer either. We already do it for younger people so what's the difference? Older people could just tick the back if they're eligible for free prescriptions or pay of they're not. Simple. Even if it wasn't audited it would still save loads unless everyone is suggesting that older people would all start committing fraud?
And the argument that they just wouldnt bother paying and would end up in hospital costing more could also apply to younger people too so is pretty irrelevant surely?
What is agist is expecting to get all this stuff for free at the expense of younger people regardless of your wealth.

It's more I'm not seeing a lot of boomers make the sacrifices for the next gen. My Grandmother was a member of the silent generation she worked as a children's nurse. She spent a lot of time babysitting me as a child, she sacrificed and toiled wanting her dc and dgc to have better futures. My own young boomer parents have never offered to babysit , they go on numerous holidays.

Everything I've worked for is from my own blood sweat and tears. I was on my own from age 18. It's a common theme my friends have the same issues they were babysat and had very close relationships with their grandparents. Their own parents aren't bothered with the dgc

I won't be the same to my dc and dgc. I want them to have a more comfortable life with close family bonds. I'm wondering what went wrong between the generations that there's such a huge contrast.

OK it's not ageism - it's a race to the bottom - everyone's experience should be equally shit, is that right?

every single one of the people in front of me got back into massive, brand new SUVs, one couple into a Range Rover and another into a Jaguar

I’m over 60. My car is 14 years old. I can’t remember the last time I needed a prescription.

We aren’t all carrying armfuls of “free” medication to our luxury cars.

@oakbeam literally nobody is saying you are. Just that if you can afford to pay then you should. The NHS is absolutely screwed. We shouldnt be wasting money where its not needed.

Why should boomers like me make sacrifices for the people like that poster who appear to detest us and grudge everything that we have?

Not all 60+ are loaded though and it’s the ones with just a small pension on top of their state pension that will suffer because it would only be people on pension credit that would receive free prescriptions and if the OP is struggling with the cost of a prescription why wouldn’t someone over 60 on a low income?

Most people on this thread aren't really asking for sacrifices from older people just that they pay their way like the rest of us IF THEY ARE ABLE

It was probably just something the op thought at the time when she was frustrated in a queue. Now we have all put forward cases for over-60s having free prescriptions (and there are others who are entitled to them), she probably thinks differently. One day she will be over 60 and will not find much that is free, or almost free.

I agree with what KitKatLove says above.

But there are also single pensioner households like my mum's who is just above the pensioner credit threshold and things like these fuel payments make a real difference to her quality of life. My mum also worked her whole life at a time when a large proportion of women of her generation were stay at home parents. I really don't begrudge her any of the small amount of perks she gets as a pensioner.

@KitKatLove but that's the same for younger people too! And the money needs to come from somewhere. Unless you're happy to spend 18 hours in A and E next time you need it? Which if you're over 60 is statistically likely to be sooner than if you're not.

More ageism. They should be free for everyone like the rest of the UK. just because one group doesn't get it free doesn't mean you should take it away for everyone. The government is slowly making everyone else poorer as it is. I'm not sure when they changed it, but my mum is 59 and said she won't get free prescriptions at 60 now. Perhaps the age bracket has changed recently.

All these cases of individuals who are hard up! It's literally the same for younger people. I just don't get the logic that because you're 60 it should be free no matter what. Some people would be worse off. Yes. But the money isn't there. So we can't afford to pay for stuff for people that don't need it. And if you do need it which could be measured by pension credit or universal credit then it stays free

@blahblahblah1654 it's literally the opposite of ago to suggest that everyone should be treated the same regardless of their age!

@mewkins I completely agree - there are a heck of a lot of people who absolutely need the free prescriptions but there's also a hell of a lot of people like my parents (and their friends) who get things that they don't necessarily need

Perhaps it should all be raised in line with state pension age.

As mum says, it was insane that they got so much stuff like free bus passes at the age of 60 when they didn't retire till 65 - so 5 years when they were both working still.

It's a complex scenario thats for sure.

In most areas, pain killers that can be bought cheaply over the counter are not available on prescription.
In my area, thrush treatment is not available on prescription, but mine is because its caused by the cancer drugs I take and I need the 1o% cream rather than the 2%

@WomblingTree86 and members of Green peace, the women from Ford who led the way for the SFA 1975, those who went to Greenham Common, those who campaigned for legal abortion, etc., weren't boomers then?

Almost every life decision DH and I have ever made has been for our children's futures. Our children have the choice to follow their passions because of the financial freedom we have provided them. DH and I had to self fund our choices and make choices that brought in fairly significant income. DH would have loved to have been an academic; he couldn't - DS can.

@carriedout

I haven't misunderstood at all. I'm not saying find the nhs less, I'm saying find it more sensibly and that includes not paying for prescriptions for very well off pensioners. That money could be spent far better on other parts of the NHS that do need the funding and help reduce waiting lists.

No bus passes where we live until 65.

Also to add to my list - no free childcare and mat leave, introduced in the 70s was 6 months.