Helping the government save money

[Samdelila]

I think free prescriptions for people with certain conditions should be means tested. What else could the government cut to save money?

The best way to save the NHS money is for people to stop smoking and drinking and lose weight. You can start taking people’s free insulin away once you put down the sausage rolls.

But those people can claim free prescriptions?

Well she isn’t wrong.

Why not raise it to pension age

Except lots of people on benefits are not on the breadline and lots of people who earn just above the threshold are.

Anyone with a medical exemption certificate. Free prescriptions for over 60s is insane too.

You sound quite jealous.
Which would you rather, her wealth or her health conditions?

@taxguru so just income, what about wealth. People can have millions in property but not 100k income.

Yes. But others don’t need it. We don’t need to means test to identify them.

It has to be income, you can’t pay a bill with property.

What do you think?

Well that needs to be addressed too.

Also..not throwing away unused vials of controlled drugs.that are .well within date..when patient has died or does not require them anymore. Am sure people will say it is because there is risk of contamination/ tampering with but there must be a way to check.

Oh good, tell that to my husband who has to take epilepsy medication to keep him alive.

You don't work? You get stuff for free. You work? PAY!!

But we can’t afford to give freebies to people who have a lot of money.

I see what you mean, but this country needs to make savings and giving stuff to people who don’t need it isn’t helping to solve that problem.

Do you understand the fundamental reasoning behind Beveridge’s opposition to means testing?

Nothing has changed since he wrote his report.

If you ultimately want to demolish the welfare state, then means testing everything is a great place to start.

Missing the point. Paying taxes isn't some kind of rewards/points scheme. It's to pay for the country's public services, infrastructure, etc. There really shouldn't be the mentality of "getting something extra" back for it.

Yes! This too. So much unnecessary waste. It’s just like pouring money down the drain.

@Samdelila even if you have more than one?

We have already identified the people who need these handouts - they are the ones claiming benefits. There’s no need to means test people.

Yes.

Even worse is prescribing expensive drugs that the patient won't use. My DH is on lifetime chemotherapy maintenance and one particular chemotherapy drug costs over £1k per tablet. He takes 1 every two weeks, but the "usual" drugs package is 3 per month, so every month, he has one tablet left over that he doesn't take. At £1k per tablet! His haematologist who issues the prescription says "it's too hard" to change the standard prescription package as it would need to go to some kind of "board" within the trust to change the pre-approved prescription. That's not the only expensive drug either. He has another chemotherapy drug that he should take 21 days out of 28. The haematologist recommends he only takes one every other day instead of every day due to side-effects, so that's 10/11 tablets per month that go unused - cost not quite so high, but still over £100 per tablet. He's mentioned it to the haematologist many times but she just shrugs and says she's got the "budget" allocated so it doesn't "cost" her dept anything for the over-prescription! Utter madness.

Tell that to Rachel Reeves, while she freezes prescription charges but sits back as pubs and restaurants close down (and people lose their jobs) thanks to her policies.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-freezes-charges-to-keep-prescriptions-under-a-tenner

PIP and DLA. It's ridiculous handing out money to millionnaires who don't need it. I can't even imagine applying for it if I didn't need it. Know 3 people who get it for autism/adhd and anxiety. One is very well off and is not anxious at all but likes to play the system. Her family is embarrassed and even offered to give her the 400 £ per month but it's like a game to her. The other two both work and don't have any extra costs due to their autism and adhd for the other which I think should be a criteria to get it.