Free prescriptions on incapacity benefit?

beadysam

I have been on Incapacity Benefit due to a back injury for the past 7 1/2 years - I have investigated several times and I DO NOT qualify for free prescriptions. My husband has been on Incapacity Benefit for 2 years after a breakdown and diagnosis as Bi-polar. He DOES NOT qualify for free prescriptions either. I buy a prepayment certificate which saves me a fortune, but my husbands doctor gives him 3 months of medications at a time to save money so it doesn't work out cheaper to get a prepayment for him. Hope this helps???

Lally

Hi, went to the doctors today and as presumed I ended up with 2 prescriptions. I went to the Pharmacy and explained the situation, I even pointed out the assistant who told me they would be free and that I should tick the Income Support box, which Ive been doing all this time.

Today I was told this was wrong so I took out a 4 month pre-payment certificate. I always had these in the past so this is nothing new to me and I think they are very cost effective.

Thanks for all your replies!

Ted_Hutchinson

Lally wrote:

Hi, went to the doctors today and as presumed I ended up with 2 prescriptions. I went to the Pharmacy and explained the situation, I even pointed out the assistant who told me they would be free and that I should tick the Income Support box, which Ive been doing all this time.

Today I was told this was wrong so I took out a 4 month pre-payment certificate. I always had these in the past so this is nothing new to me and I think they are very cost effective.

Thanks for all your replies!

But PLEASE do follow rwsteele's advice and fill in an HC2 form to see if you meet the income threshold when council tax and housing costs are taken into account, just because you aren't automatically entitled doesn't necessarily mean you don't qualify anyway. Moneybox on Radio4 was discussing benefits today and the amount of unclaimed benefits is in the billions of pounds. The government is putting more and more emphasis on means tested benefits because they know people won't claim them. Don't let them get away with it.
If you have kept your receipt today you will be able to claim this back so don't give up so easily.

Turning_into_scrooge

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

Incapacity Benefit does not automatically entitle you to free prescriptions so do check the links I have previously provided. You will get help with prescription costs if your total income while on Incapacity Benefit is the same or less than you would be entitled to on Income Support although Council tax and Housing costs are also be taken into account, which is why I suggested a benefits healthcheck as you can receive IS while also getting IB. However if your Incapacity Benefit is anything over the amount you would have got on Income Support you are not permitted to only claim the lower amount. Unfortunately if you are entitled to IB this will be paid and in some cases it disqualifies the claimant from help with health costs.

You are quite right that incapacity benefit does not include free prescriptions but low income does. Its the same form that students at university use for free prescriptions

bonnie_2

my aunty thought she got free perscriptions on incapacity, she got caught and had to pay a £1000 fine. so it pays to get the certificate if your entititled to it

Lally

Spendless wrote:

When i was pregnant one time i forgot to take my maternity exemption certificae with m so was unable to show it to the receptionist. I asked what happened and she said my form was marked as being exempt but without proof and that these are random checked (by whom i don't know) and my claim could be investigated (as it happened it wasn't and even if i had i could prove i was pregnant and did have an exemption certificate). Just thought it best to warn of possible consequences.

My local pharmacies never ask to see the Prepayment certificate (not because they know me or anything, just dont think they can be bothered....), but larger ones in town like Boots always do and they scrutinise every details on it!