free prescriptions, dental and eye tests?

Swirlywurly

Most students can get free prescriptions if they fill out a HC2 as it is based on their earnings. The form is not hard to fill out especially as there is a special section for students to fill in. If they can get into university they can navigate their way through a form.

Try not to worry too much, if your son (him not you!) can get a form from the pharmacy/doctors surgery and then fill it out once he starts at uni as long as he earns less than the threshold he'll get a certificate that lasts for a year. After that you just resubmit a form and get assessed again

ames100

hi swirlywirly- quick ques- whats the student moneysaving club in your sig?

Swan_2

my daughter filled in the appropriate form & was turned down for free prescriptions while she was at Uni, she was living away from home & only had her student loans to live on, as she'd no job at that time

we're in Scotland though, maybe it's different elsewhere?

Toothsmith

mellymeep wrote: »

You can get free prescriptions and eye tests up until your 19 and in full time education. Man I miss those days!

But with the dentists NHS ones are extremely hard to find these days, and massively over subscribed so pretty much everyone has to pay a subsidised fee.

I don't understand your last paragraph.

If you have an NHS dentist, then you either pay the NHS charge, or you don't if you're exempt.

If you don't have an NHS dentist, then you pay privately. This isn't subsidised, and there are no exemptions.

The_One_Who

TDQO wrote: »

Make your son move out! Seriously! With loans etc he can afford it (tens of thousands of other students can) and he will miss out in a big way if he stays at home.

I completely disagree. He may not need or want to move out, or maybe he genuinely can't afford to. If I moved out I wouldn't have been able to afford it and would have needed to work all the time just to be able to pay rent and bills. And that is with the maximum loans! Personally, I think by working all the time I would miss out on more that university offers me than staying at home. The university I am at has one of the best departments in the country for my course, and to move out for the sake of saving me an hour in the morning is stupid in my opinion. I am now able to save what I can in order to pay for my required masters degree.

Either way, that is not what this thread is about. OP, if he can get an HC2 form he may be able to get an exemption from paying for treatments.

GlasweJen

Your son should fill in the HC1 form, HC2/HC3 is the form you get back detailing your entitlement.

smooser

Swan wrote: »

my daughter filled in the appropriate form & was turned down for free prescriptions while she was at Uni, she was living away from home & only had her student loans to live on, as she'd no job at that time

we're in Scotland though, maybe it's different elsewhere?

Yeah I was in the same situation (although I live in England)...they seem to think that the student loan counts for a lot despite the fact that I needed prescriptions every month. I filled it out again while I was doing my Masters with the only difference being I had a part-time job and no loan and got an exemption certificate, even though I was basically on the same income...

Have a thourough check of their breakdown of her assessed income/needs because it's worth appealing if you think they've got it wrong!

sue34

The_One_Who wrote: »

I completely disagree. He may not need or want to move out, or maybe he genuinely can't afford to. If I moved out I wouldn't have been able to afford it and would have needed to work all the time just to be able to pay rent and bills. And that is with the maximum loans! Personally, I think by working all the time I would miss out on more that university offers me than staying at home. The university I am at has one of the best departments in the country for my course, and to move out for the sake of saving me an hour in the morning is stupid in my opinion. I am now able to save what I can in order to pay for my required masters degree.

Either way, that is not what this thread is about. OP, if he can get an HC2 form he may be able to get an exemption from paying for treatments.

Totally agree.
thank you all for your comments and advice, will tell him to get the HC2 form at the time its needed.

atypical

Swan wrote: »

my daughter filled in the appropriate form & was turned down for free prescriptions while she was at Uni, she was living away from home & only had her student loans to live on, as she'd no job at that time

It seems to be hit and miss. I remember my optician telling me the same; when she applied whilst she was at Uni the first time they rejected her, the next year she was accepted.

Perhaps she should try applying again?

~jules~_3

My niece filled in HC1 and gets help towards prescriptions
hth


http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Medicinespharmacyandindustry/Prescriptions/NHSCosts/DH_4049391

http://www.nhs.uk/Healthcosts/Documents/HC1%20Front%20Page.pdf