THOUSANDS of people could get their prescriptions for free and save £115 a year with this little-known rule.
The cost of living crisis has left many of us fighting to cut back on spending as much as possible.
People whose partner is on benefits could get free prescriptions
But many people rely on daily medication and this can be very costly.
However, thousands of people could be eligible for free prescriptions because their partner – including your civil partner – receives certain benefits.
If this is you then it’s worth checking if you qualify as you could save hundreds of pounds a year.
You’ll qualify if your partner received one of the following:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit and meet the criteria
To get a free prescription on Universal Credit, you need to have no earnings or have had net earnings of £435 or less in your last Universal Credit assessment period.
You also qualify if you receive a Universal Credit child element, or you or your partner have a limited capability for work (LCW) or a limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA).
You also need to have no earnings or earned £935 or less in your last Universal Credit assessment period.
How much could I save with free prescriptions?
The cost of single prescription is £9.65 – if you’re needing medication monthly, then you could end up saving £115.80 a year.
But you could also save cash if you pay in advance with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC).
A PPC costs £31.25 for three months or £111.60 for 12 months so depending on which one you have, you could save a good chunk of money.
If you don’t qualify for free prescriptions but know you’ll need medication then it’s worth getting a PPC as you could still save:
- £120 a year if you get two prescriptions a month and pay 12-months in advance
- £235.80 a year if you get three items a month and pay 12-months in advance
- £351.60 a year if you get four items a month and pay 12-months in advance
Who else can get free prescriptions?
If you live in England you can also get free prescriptions if you’re in one of the following groups:
- You’re aged 60 or over
- You’re aged under 16 or are 17 or 18 and in full-time education
- You’re pregnant or had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate
- You have a specific medical condition and have valid medical exemption card
- You have a continuing physical disability that prevents you going out without help from another person and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
- You hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
- You are an NHS inpatient
Medical conditions for which you can get a medical exemption card include cancer and epilepsy.
Others include hypoparathyroidism, Addison’s disease and myasthenia gravis.
You can find the full list on the NHS’ website.
You can also get free prescriptions if you are entitled to an NHS tax credit exemption certificate.
You qualify for one of these if you receive child tax credits or working tax credits (including a disability or severe disability element).
You also need to have an income of less than £15,276 a year.
How do I apply for free NHS prescriptions?
If you want to figure out if you’re eligible for a certificate, you can use the government’s eligibility checker.
Just head to this link here, it takes about three minutes- https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-for-help-paying-nhs-costs/start.
You can then ask your GP for an FP92A form to apply for a medical exemption.
This will give you free prescriptions for five years – after that you’ll need to apply the same way again.
You can use the same checker to see if you’re entitled to free prescriptions and other free health-related support, such as free glasses and sight tests or dental treatment.
What other freebies can I get if I’m on benefits?
It’s not just NHS prescriptions you can get for free if you’re on benefits.
You can get help via cost of living payments too – the Government is handing out £900 payments to those on the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension credit
The £900 payment has been split into three instalments of £301, £300 and £299.
The first instalment is being paid between now and May 17 to the vast majority of people.
The second and third instalments will be paid in autumn this year and spring 2024 respectively.
There’s also cost of living payments for millions of elderly people and the disabled due to be paid later this year and in 2024.
Meanwhile, you might be in line for help if you’re on a low income or benefits through the Household Support Fund.
Plus, new mothers can get a £500 free payment via the Sure Start Maternity Grant. You will qualify if you receive the following benefits:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest loan (in some cases)
You have to claim the grant within 11 weeks of your baby’s due date or six months after the baby’s birth.
You don’t have to pay the grant back and it will not impact your other benefit or tax credit allowances.
And here’s eight freebies or discounts you can get now if you’re on Universal Credit and other benefits.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
