prescription charges ?

deb0020

Rich44 wrote: »

and yet if you get the qualifying amount of working families tax credits you also get an exemption card, ours have just arrived so you're actually getting more money in (JSA and WTC/CTC) yet you're entitled to all the NHS "freebies" - weird

I know.It does seem unfair.
It is because JSA (IB), IS, WTC, CTC and ESA (IR) are all means tested benefits.
Whereas JSA (C) and ESA (C) are contribution based and you can receive them even if you have hundreds of thousands in the bank

[Deleted User]

We should all move to scotland or wales where they seem to be able to get all this free despite being fully funded by central government??????????????? Along with higher Ed & other stuff.
Got to love our scottish labour PM

SuziQ

On a medical note,surely his GP is referring him to a specialist? Without MRI etc it is impossible for the GP to know what is going on or whether surgical intervention could help or even cure his pain. If I was him,I would be very anxious about being on morphine with no prospect of further intervention to get me off it! If he hasn't already done so,please urge him to ask his GP to refer him urgently to a specialist. Also I had a really awful bad back years ago,which my GP told me was due to constant lifting whilst I was nursing. Whilst waiting for an orthopaedic referral I went to see a fantastic and highly recommended osteopath. I had 5 weekly treatments at £30-which I could ill afford at the time-followed by 2 sessions on alternate weeks then stopped. It absolutely cured the pain and I cancelled my appt with the hospital. So well worth the money! Admittedly you have to be careful to find a really good osteopath and they can't help all back problems but they can help with a lot-and a really proefessional one won't even start treatment if they know they can't help.

Even if a specialist hasn't got a surgical cure for your friend they can often refer to a pain relief clinic where pain relief which doesn't make you sleepy etc can be sorted out.

Zara33

_shel wrote: »

We should all move to scotland or wales where they seem to be able to get all this free despite being fully funded by central government??????????????? Along with higher Ed & other stuff.
Got to love our scottish labour PM

:rolleyes: I think you will find the people of Scotland still pay for their prescriptions.

bitsandpieces

SuziQ wrote: »

Whilst waiting for an orthopaedic referral I went to see a fantastic and highly recommended osteopath. I had 5 weekly treatments at £30-which I could ill afford at the time-followed by 2 sessions on alternate weeks then stopped. It absolutely cured the pain and I cancelled my appt with the hospital. So well worth the money! Admittedly you have to be careful to find a really good osteopath and they can't help all back problems but they can help with a lot-and a really proefessional one won't even start treatment if they know they can't help.

If money is an issue, the original poster might do better asking for a referral to an NHS physio, if appropriate. The evidence of physio working for back pain is at least as good as for osteopathy, and an NHS physio won't charge you.

System

ESA wrote: »

Its no different than would have happened on IB

This isnt all that new.

might not be new to some but its been 20+ years since any of my family have had to claim benefits.

System

SuziQ wrote: »

On a medical note,surely his GP is referring him to a specialist? Without MRI etc it is impossible for the GP to know what is going on or whether surgical intervention could help or even cure his pain. If I was him,I would be very anxious about being on morphine with no prospect of further intervention to get me off it! If he hasn't already done so,please urge him to ask his GP to refer him urgently to a specialist. Also I had a really awful bad back years ago,which my GP told me was due to constant lifting whilst I was nursing. Whilst waiting for an orthopaedic referral I went to see a fantastic and highly recommended osteopath. I had 5 weekly treatments at £30-which I could ill afford at the time-followed by 2 sessions on alternate weeks then stopped. It absolutely cured the pain and I cancelled my appt with the hospital. So well worth the money! Admittedly you have to be careful to find a really good osteopath and they can't help all back problems but they can help with a lot-and a really proefessional one won't even start treatment if they know they can't help.

Even if a specialist hasn't got a surgical cure for your friend they can often refer to a pain relief clinic where pain relief which doesn't make you sleepy etc can be sorted out.

he had his MRI last sunday but has been told it will take upto 2 weeks for the results , he is very concerned about being on morphine for any lenght of time. he has been to a chiropractor [sp] but was mis disgnosed and is worse now than before.

Cozworth806

The HC1 route is the one to investigate first.
There is no automatic exemption if he is on ESA (CR) but depending on the household income he may be entitled to free prescriptions.

Tally-Ho_2

Can I just ask a question about the HC1 thing.

My brother is disabled from service in HM forces. He gets prescriptions relating to his war pension condition free. However he has some other, unrelated conditions which require monthly prescriptions to be paid for.

He receives a small war pension, DLA middle care and Incapacity benefit. Last year this put him at £1.31 above the weekly income support level. He applied using a HC1 form and got a HC2 certificate in return (ie free everything including prescriptions).

His circumstances are exactly the same this year but with the annual uprating of his IB, DLA and war pension in April he is now £1.61 above the weekly income support level. Anyway, he applied again using a HC1 form, but this time only got a HC3 (partial health costs, but prescriptions have to be paid for in full)certificate in return.

What I would like to know is what is the 'cut off' point between receiving a HC2 (full costs paid for) certificate and a HC3 (partial costs certificate).

It seems daft that he is only £1.61 above the Income Support level but he now has to pay for prescriptions which cost him the equivalent of £14 something per week (8 items every 4 weeks), when last year, he was £1.31 a week above the IS level they were all free. That 30 pence benefit increase has made him £14 per week worse off!!

Thanks
Tally

calleyw

Tally-Ho wrote: »

What I would like to know is what is the 'cut off' point between receiving a HC2 (full costs paid for) certificate and a HC3 (partial costs certificate).

It seems daft that he is only £1.61 above the Income Support level but he now has to pay for prescriptions which cost him the equivalent of £14 something per week (8 items every 4 weeks), when last year, he was £1.31 a week above the IS level they were all free. That 30 pence benefit increase has made him £14 per week worse off!!

Thanks
Tally

I don't know the cut off point and can't find anything.

If your brother needs regular medication then he needs to get a prepaid prescription. These cost £104 for the year and can be paid for over 10 months on DD.

More info here

Also his pharmacist should have told him about the pre-paid prescription certificate if he is spending that sort of money on prescription per month.

Yours

Calley