Panicking over nhs prepayment certificate

[Watbtisoi]

I have just realised the direct debit for my nhs prepayment certificate isn't coming out of the bank anymore. My partners account is our main account so there's not usually much in mine. I've checked back and it hasn't come out for 6 months, which is when we moved house. I'm going to ring them first thing tomorrow but I'm in a total panic. I'm going to get fined for every prescription I've had in those 6 months aren't I? It will be a fortune! Has this happened to any of you ?

just go online and apply for a new one with a backdated start date then your covered and you can relax

You can only backdate a month.

If I've worked it out correctly it could be over a grand. Ffs

You likely wont be fined for all of them. It’s a spot check monthly, and if they’d picked you up you’d already have a letter and a fine from the earlier months. Re-apply online, backdated as far as you can and see if a fine does arrive. You may end up paying for one month of meds but likely not for all of them.

Just checked my bank account and the direct debit which usually goes out every 19th hasn't gone for October, maybe there's a problem with their system?

I'm going to wait a few days.

If you get fined, it’s usually just for one prescription. I missed about 4 months, it must have been an IT error as it was confirmed I had had paid - but it never went out of my account. I didn’t notice because I had multiple surgeries over that month so wasn’t even looking at my account. I was high as a kite on painkillers. I spoke to my pharmacist who said they only do random checks so unlikely that you will be ‘caught’. I was but I explained the situation and it was waived - I only paid for one prescription.

They also only can back date this for a certain amount of time. After a year (?) I think it’s just wiped.

Contact them. they are unlikely to fine you if you are honest about the mistake. They will most likely let you backdate the certificate & worst case scenario make you pay the prescription charge amount you would have paid. I know lots of people who have done similar & it's been resolved by paying it over the phone. None of them were fined.