Free prescriptions: How to save £340 on NHS medication if you don’t qualify for benefit | Personal Finance | Finance
An NHS prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) is available to buy for people who pay for more than one prescription per month. Currently, prescription charges in England are £9.35 per item if a person is not eligible for a free prescription. This means that people will face a significant charge if they require multiple prescriptions every month.
In Scotland and Wales, people are able to claim their medication for free no matter what age they are.
Currently, a PPC costs an individual £30.25 for a three month period or £108.10 for 12 months.
If a person needs two prescription medicines each month, a three month PPC can help them save around £25 whilst the 12 month PPC would save them around £116 for the year.
If a person requires four prescriptions a month then with the 12 month PPC they could make a saving of more than £340 a year.
READ MORE: 30 things people on DWP benefits can get for free in August
Britons can purchase a PCC on the NHS Business Services Authority’s website or in a registered pharmacy.
People can either pay in full for the PCC or spread the costs across 10 or 12 monthly instalments by direct debit.
The “season ticket” phrase was coined by the Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis who earlier this year urged people to use the scheme as over one million people were “missing out” on the savings that could be made.
Free NHS prescriptions are available to specific groups of people in England.
DON’T MISS
People who have a war pension exemption certificate can also do not need to pay for their medication.
A person, or their partner, who receives income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment & support allowance, or pension credit guarantee credit can also receive free prescriptions.
Britons under the age of 20 years, who are dependent on someone who receives one of these benefits can also get free prescriptions.
Britons can check if they are able to get free prescriptions or help with NHS costs using the eligibility checker on the NHS website.
People on low income may be able to receive financial help through the NHS Low Income Support Scheme.
If eligible, a person would receive an HC2 certificate which will give free prescriptions, free NHS dental treatment, and free NHS eye tests.
It will also give help with the cost of glasses or contact lenses, help with travelling to receive NHS treatment and free NHS wigs and fabric support.
To apply for an HC2 certificate, people need to complete form HC1, which is available from Jobcentre Plus offices or most NHS hospitals.
In May the Government announced that it was to freeze NHS prescription charges in order to help people access medicine during the cost of living crisis.
The charge usually increases in line with inflation and is announced in April.
