Medical Exemption Certificate for free prescriptions

somebody_else

ivyleaf wrote: »

but it would be great not to have to pay for my painkillers etc - I have a prepayment cert but it's a lot of dosh to find out of my IB.

If your only income is IB and disability benefits (also including rent rebate and council tax rebate) then you would qualify for free prescriptions, sight tests and dental treatment (if you have an NHS dentist). Or you may be required to pay a much smaller amount (ie, the first 50 pence or something silly) towards the cost. I'm not sure if it still applies, but this certificate (H3) also used to make one eligible for a refund on the cost of getting to and from hospital appointments, if you have to travel by bus.

Just go to this site and request a form.

http://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/low_income.htm

I assume we're allowed to post links like this?

calleyw

if you don't qualify you can get a PPC and pay for it on DD over 10 months.


Yours


Calley

Wombat

Saversue wrote: »

How do you get the form from the website. I can only see it says get form from your doctors? Has anyone with severe depression managed to get it, this would save me £500 for my prepayment certificate over 5 years. I have 14 items per month on prescription.

It's worth applying. It may be that they are relaxing the rules regarding mental health problems as I know someone with agoraphobia who successfully applied for one of these. Good luck!

JayWalker

Of course, all prescriptions on Welsh forms are free in Wales. No help to most people, I know, but worth a mention.

Unity

somebody_else wrote: »

If your only income is IB and disability benefits (also including rent rebate and council tax rebate) then you would qualify for free prescriptions, sight tests and dental treatment (if you have an NHS dentist). Or you may be required to pay a much smaller amount (ie, the first 50 pence or something silly) towards the cost. I'm not sure if it still applies, but this certificate (H3) also used to make one eligible for a refund on the cost of getting to and from hospital appointments, if you have to travel by bus.

Just go to this site and request a form.

http://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/low_income.htm

I assume we're allowed to post links like this?

It doesn't always work out this way, which is why I posted about the Medical Exemption Certificate - on that last criterion - (needing someone to be with you when you are outside). I've had one of these for many years now and only found out about it via another disability site.

Up until June this year, DH and I also qualified (in addition) for the whole lot, prescriptions, specs and dental work because we got Child Tax Credits for our son. However when started university in the next town, it all stopped despite the fact that our income has actually reduced - no tax credits anymore.

I think the reason is because I am on SDA (Severe Disablement Allowance) rather than IB (Incapacity Benefit). Now I know IB is taxable, SDA isn't - but SDA is also less money than IB. I get DLA and IIB (Industrial Injuries Benefit) whereas all DH gets is CA (Carer's Allowance).

Just my humble opinion but I think it comes down to those initials IB for Incapacity Benefit. There are so many things where you get an automatic right to things - even down to vocational courses you might want to attend, but because I have to state SDA - Severe Disablement Benefit - which has actually now been phased out for new applicants, I don't qualify . In fact I have to pay the first £135 towards dental treatment and travelling costs for getting to hospital would only be allowed if I had to pay more than £45 per week! My specs prescription is pretty bad and I could do with varifocals but there's no way I can afford them as the help towards them is next to nothing.

We don't have savings over the allowance so I'm lost. i really can't see why DH has to pay when all he has is CA which is just over £50 a week.

My health deteriorated badly whilst I was at university as a mature student and the reason I was told I couldn't claim Incapacity Benefit was because I didn't have enough N.I Contributions as I had only been working part-time after my son was born. I asked if there were any non-contributory benefits to which I was entitled - but once again I was told "No". It was only some years later that a fellow hospital patient told me I should be getting SDA and after an inquiry - where I had to give a sworn statement - I at least got that benefit backdated to 13 weeks after my DLA started. :T

I'm not bemoaning my lot, we manage, it's just that the reason for the original post was for others who might be in a similar boat. It relies purely on whether you can or cannot go out alone, you don't have to wait for new legislation to be applied if this is the case.

Sorry if that was a ramble - it's not a good day today so please forgive me:o.

Unity