Full Time Uni Student - 19 years old

pimento

Is this correct?

My 19 year old son is a full-time university student who has a student loan and a small grant (a few hundred a year).

He has this week been to visit his GP and was asked to pay for the prescription and he's just visited our NHS dentist and been charged for the visit.

It's not a huge amount of money, but why don't full-time student qualify for free prescriptions and dental treatment?

Ot has he got it wrong?

System

As he's 19 he no longer qualifies for free prescriptions, however he could get a HC1 form and apply on the grounds of low income if awarded he would get free prescriptions (or a lesser charge possibly)

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4078085.pdf

pimento

Thanks. He hardly ever visits the doctor, in fact, this will be the first time since he came with me for his jabs when he was a two month old baby! Same with the dentist.

I expect he'll be making even fewer visits now he has to pay.

baza52

pimento wrote: »

Thanks. He hardly ever visits the doctor, in fact, this will be the first time since he came with me for his jabs when he was a two month old baby! Same with the dentist.

I expect he'll be making even fewer visits now he has to pay.

So he hasnt seen the doctor or dentist for 19 years?

Anubis_2

It's really hard for University students, they are not entitled to any HB etc, and if they are unable to find a part time job they only have their loan and bursary to cover them for the year and this does not cover the full cost so they can be in a catch 22. Even worse now the fees will be tripled to 9k a year excluding living expenses - I am not sure if loans will be tripling to match though. If they are the average University student on a three year course is going to be in at least 40 thousand pounds of debt at the end of it.

bestpud

baza52 wrote: »

So he hasnt seen the doctor or dentist for 19 years?

I can count on one hand the number of times my 19 year old has been to our GP and my 9 year old has only been twice (she was 2 the last time).

Some people don't get ill, or nothing serious if they do.

They go to the dentist every six months though!

Oldernotwiser

Anubis wrote: »

It's really hard for University students, they are not entitled to any HB etc, and if they are unable to find a part time job they only have their loan and bursary to cover them for the year and this does not cover the full cost so they can be in a catch 22. Even worse now the fees will be tripled to 9k a year excluding living expenses - I am not sure if loans will be tripling to match though. If they are the average University student on a three year course is going to be in at least 40 thousand pounds of debt at the end of it.

This is irrelevant to the question, particularly as you admit to not knowing what you're talking about.

jugglebug

The previous poster who spoke about the HC1 form is correct.
When I was at University the students union had em everywhere so you could hardly fail to know what they were for.
I keep em at my Dental practice too and I suspect most GP's will too if you ask.
However you do need to apply for the exemption in advance or you will be expected to pay then try to claim it back. I think the form for that is HC5 but I might be wrong about that

skintandscared_2

Out of interest ... does ANYBODY get totally free dental treatment any more??

Dave101t

is this correct? he has a loan, has a grant, and still wants to get out of paying less than a tenner?

bestpud

skintandscared wrote: »

Out of interest ... does ANYBODY get totally free dental treatment any more??

People on Income support, Income Based JSA and those with the tax credit exemption do.

There is probably others, but that's the ones I know of.

Of course, it depends on them finding an NHS dentist...