free nhs dental check & prescriptions if on tax credits

Anthillmob

this is what happened to me today and i wrk part time and mr mob full time:

i managed to get myself an appointment at a new nhs dentist today whose surgery are above my doctors as i dislike my other dentist.

i have a gum infection (caused by the medication im on which makes my gums receed) and she did a filling for me as well so im all numb at the moment.

she was ever so nice and spoke to me in a very calm and soothing voice telling me i was 'doing really well' and informed me of everything she was going to do. almost speaking to me like you would to a child. this is because i told them i was petrified of the dentist. and it worked sort of. i was still shaking like a leaf but i felt a lot more relaxed and the surgery was like a spaceship with all these weird gadgets and pen cameras which showed my teeth to me on a screen near my head. my teeth are !!!!!!! rank!

AND THE BRUCIE BONUS!! =- as i receive tax credits i am expemt from paying and also exempt from prescription charges too! funny you never get told things like this by the inland revenue. i also recently got my eye test for free as i get tax credits.

however i have to see the hygenist who will try and sort my gums out and shes private at £35 for 30 mins.

also given antibiotics that state 'avoid alcohol' otherwise you will get breathing difficulties. boo!


so was anyone aware of this? i certainly wasnt.

jennyjudd

Yes, it's true, I knew about it, but couldn't get it last year because our tax credits were based on the year befores income, which was over the threshold.

I think you need to get less than 14, 000 a year to be entitled though, not sure, but i think it's something like that.

You can get free school meals too, but according to our councils website, you can only get them if you only get child tax credit, and that needs to be below a certain threshold too.

Anthillmob

eh? less than 14k? were on at 25k and they saw no problem with it.

mind you if they do ever change their minds ill have a few words to say.

jennyjudd

You're kidding, we were told that we'd get a certificate entitling us to free prescriptions etc if we were. We were on £16000 ish and we didn't get one! I'll do some investigating though.

jennyjudd

try this link
http://www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/taxcredits_faq.htm

And this is from a leaflet

To qualify for help with health costs:
• your family income for tax credits
must be £15,050* or less (this is on
your tax credit award notice issued
by HM Revenue and Customs
(HMRC)) and one of the following
applies:
– you are working and have children
so you get WTC and CTC, or
– you are working and disabled so you
get WTC with a disability element
(for you) or severe disability element
(this might be for you or your
partner) – check your award notice,
or
– you are not eligible for WTC but
get CTC.

comping_cat

I get the free prescriptions, eye tests and dental etc - just wish i could find an NHS dentist!!!!

bonnie_2

I think you'll find it was a mistake if you are entitled you would have recieved an exemption certificate with your award. Dentists get wtc and ctc muddled up, mine did. If you get caught its a £1000 fine. we dont get it on £20,000 a year it's only if you get working tax credit.

TITEASCRAMP

your right it was a mistake as Jenny says its £15k. When we were on £17k we didnt get it.

emilyt

Definately a mistake.
Sorry Ant hope you can get it sorted out.

Toothsmith

They're right.

WTC is not an automatic exemption, and you'll get into trouble if it's picked up on.

There are other things that worry me about that practice too.

Anthillmob wrote: »

however i have to see the hygenist who will try and sort my gums out and shes private at £35 for 30 mins.

Anthill,

If you NEED to see the hygienist, then it should all be included on the NHS.

The only things dentists are not allowed to do on the NHS are 'cosmetic' treatments.

Some try and say "the hygienist is self employed, and she only sees people privately"

Some just say "The hygienist is private"

The NHS CONTRACT says that a dentist is contractually bound to offer all services that take place normally on the premesis (And if a hygienist is on the premesis, that means her too) to an NHS patient if that patient NEEDS those services.

I understand why the dentist is doing it - they can't afford to offer NHS hygienist appointments, BUT if they couldn't follow the contract without defrauding people, they shouldn't have signed it.

It does make me cross when practices have taken taxpayers money, and use the 'we're NHS' badge to attract patients, and really they're just a subsidised private practice.

I would have a word with your local PCT.

DazzerG

Anthillmob wrote: »

funny you never get told things like this by the inland revenue.

How about here;
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/moreinformation.htm
or Page 56 of the TC600

Also the scheme isnt run by Tax Credits.....it's only role is to provide information to the NHS on your eligibility.