Prescription charges for over 60’s

[salcombebabe]

If you’re 60 or over and don’t agree with having to pay for prescriptions (which Boris wants us to in the very near future!) then please sign this!

I’ve put in AIBU for traffic.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/594390

Lots of boomers get free prescriptions, bus passes, TV licence, winter fuel etc when they can pay for it themselves. I have just had a bout of illness and didn't know you could get a pre-payment discount - it was £30 for 3 months which is a bargain. My Mum can easily afford her prescriptions.

Next they need to tackle people who come home with bags of medications because they're 'free'. Well even if you pay the prescription charge it's still not anywhere near the real cost of most medications. My in laws always seem to be picking something up. MIL hardly worked all her life so has hardly 'paid in' to the system. Obviously some people desperately need their medication - but I'm sure there's some people who ask for stuff 'just in case'.

However I think the retirement age is too high - I won't be able to teach until I'm 67. I'm exhausted now and not yet 50.

@WhatScratch

How is it fair that a 61 year old working full time on £80k pa gets free prescriptions but a 30 year old working full time on £24k pa has to pay?

I agree with this.

I'm a lefty and always have been, but I was gobsmacked when I got free prescriptions at 60. I had been under the impression that they were only free when you reached pension age, which for me was 66.

In an ideal world, all healthcare would be free, including medication, but we're not in that world. Until we are, I think prescription charges should apply until you're a pensioner.

@Justcallmebebes

I've signed OP as I think prescriptions should be free for over 60's

Why when many over 60s are still working affluent jobs, or have great pensions. It should be means tested for everyone.

@converseandjeans. No free tv licences anymore. That benefit was cancelled 3/4 years ago.

bigwoollyjumpers this is the type of thing I'm talking about. I see some people walking out the pharmacy with big bags full.

girlmom21 that's also an awful waste of money. Calpol should be affordable for most people & unless you're completely broke then you should just buy it OTC.

The other thing is people having home deliveries when they're not disabled. Such a waste of money. Most people have someone they could ask to collect. Again if you don't and you're finding it difficult to walk/have no car/money then fine.

Reminds me of my 62yo boss on £110K who used to tell us about the free travel to work that his bus pass gave him.

I hope the petition fails - should be means tested not a blanket age policy.

Even when I’m retired, my pension will be higher than minimum wage and I won’t be paying NI. Absolutely pisstake to expect free prescriptions over a lower earning full time working younger person!

What a great idea. Yabu.

My uncle took early retirement and pays high rate tax on his pension.
People with that income should definitely pay for prescriptions.
It shouldn’t be age related but means tested.
@converseandjeans pensioners do not get free tv license any more.
I agree about medication though, my dm had 4 unused inhalers all out of date last time I was visiting.

Hi, OP. We're moving your thread to our Petitions and Activism board now.

@LaDoIceVita

Many over 60's can afford to pay while many under 60's can't. Only those who need them should get free prescriptions.

This. Lots of over 60s are very well off. Those who aren't and can prove this shouldn't pay, but I'm sick of subsidising the luckiest generation in history. 60 isn't even old.

I think all thia means is that it brings it in line with current SPA, which is what it was when originally 60 before the raise in SPA, 60 is no longer a age with any rationale for this to continue, those under SPA on benefits get them free anyway and anyone with LTC and need regular scripts can buy a prepaid certificate.
I'm happy to pay, they never cover the cost of most drugs prescribed anyway but its something at least

I've had, and paid for, multiple weekly prescriptions since I was 16 (from birth but obviously free then) and I'm now 60 and qualify for free ones.

Whilst I am bizarrely thrilled that I now get my medications free I would support paying until pension age as long as I could still use the prepayment card to cut the costs down. I can't work anymore due to ill health so full charges would be tight at around £36 a week.

Prepayment works out at £10 a month so is definitely value for money for anyone who needs more than 2 items a month.

everydayisaschoolday yes I do recall now all the drama about it.

I was very surprised when I no longer had to pay for prescriptions when I reached 60. I had assumed it would be tied to my 'new' retirement age which is 66 - IMO it should be so I'd welcome that change.

I think they need to overhaul the method by which you apply for free prescriptions if you’re on a low household income, as it’s unnecessarily complicated and opaque. They could increase the income that counts as “low”, too. And they could publicise the prepayment certificate a little more.

Then I think they should stop free prescriptions for all adults. If you’re 70 and on a good income, you can pay, can’t you? You don’t need free stuff just because you’re old. The current system is based on an outdated assumption that pensioners must all be poor.

We can afford ours, would rather the money was used for other things.

YANBU. I have had to pay until 60. Now it’s free, I don’t see why I should pay again until I am 67, as I claim a pension now from 60, so how exactly am I supposed to be able to afford it?

I also fail to see why England pays and no other nation does,

You don't know why you should pay for your already subsidised medicine even though you are still of working age?

YABU

It’s reasonable that it’s increased in line with state pension age. Being over 60 doesn’t automatically mean being on a low income (those of any age who are on a low income should get free prescriptions)

I won’t be signing it

Why should people get free prescriptions just because they're over 60? Also why should they get free bus travel, free TV licences and discounts in many places? Is it a "congratulations, you'll probably be dead soon, here's something to cheer you up" type thing?

@girlmom21 I'm DM's carer - my income is Carer's Allowance plus a bit from some freelance work. I did say that I'm not personally bothered about paying the charges, I was pointing out how generally unfair the system is.

It should be means tested across the board or totally universal. One or the other.

Well this isn't any going quite as well as op planned.

Perhaps someone should start a petition to agree with means testing prescriptions/rising free to new pension age. Seems like it would get a lot more signatures than this one.

Why would someone of working age need free prescriptions? It should be raised to state pension age.