ESA Support group and ? free prescriptions

Mandymull

my 19 year old daughter leaves school in july and is in the support group for the ESA..she is profoundly disabled. Can i claim free prescriptions for her? and if so which form do i need? I asked at Boots this am and the graduate chemsit didnt know what i was on about. He hadnt heard of ESA!
THANKS
Mandy

dmg24

Assuming she qualifies for CB ESA under the youth rules, she will not qualify for free prescriptions. However you can apply for help with health costs under the NHS Low Income Scheme.

yappycat

If her benefit is contributions based ESA rather than income-related ESA then as dmg24 says she will not be entitled to free prescriptions and you should complete an HC1 form to see what help you can get on the NHS LI Scheme. This is an income based assessment and nothing to do with medical conditions. Potentially you can get a certificate which helps with prescriptions, glasses, sight-test, dentist, wigs/fabric supports and hospital travel.

You should also ask your GP if your daughter qualifies for free prescriptions on medical grounds, there are very few medical conditions that qualify an individual for exemption but its worth asking about. You get a plastic card to take to the chemist with you as proof of exemption, however this is for prescriptions only.

sleepless_saver

If she does turn out to have to pay, remember about the prepayment option which can save a lot if someone has a lot of prescriptions.

ock184

I too have a severley disabled child who is 18 but has not left school yet and so still gets free prescriptions. However reading on the nhs.uk website regarding prescription exemption certificates it says the following regarding eligability for free prescriptions. I hope this is of use to you as i hope it will be of use to me next year when my child leaves school.


You can get free NHS prescriptions if, at the time the prescription is dispensed, you:

have a continuing physical disability that prevents you from going out without help from another person and have a valid MedEx

and also

Medical exemption (MedEx) certificates are issued on application to people who have

• continuing physical disability that prevents the person from going out without help from another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months

it also says about fillijng in form FP92A from your doctor

Mandymull

thanks for all the replies. very helpful.
how would Emily (my 19 year old ) claim free dental treatment? she has a general anaesthetic at the local hospital
for any dental work but just about manages to cope with a dental examination....

yappycat

Free dental treatment is available to people who hold a MATEX (Maternity exemption card), or to those with an HC2 (full help with health costs) certificate (gained by completing an income based assessment through the NHS Low Income Scheme - complete form HC1). An HC3 (limited help with health costs) can also be obtained by completing form HC1 and may provide a reduction on NHS dental charges - the difference between HC2 & HC3 being that if you are assessed as having more income than the rules say you need to live on for assessment purposes, then you will receive limited help with costs via an HC3 cert rather than the full help an HC2 cert would provide.
For any of these you must be receiving NHS treatment however, private treatment (even if performed by an NHS dentist) does not qualify for any reductions.