NHS prescription penalty charge

adevaynes

Received a penalty charge for a prescription obtained in May. I had been exempt through tax credits but a slight rise in income and pushed me over the threshold. I received no confirmation of this from tax credits and the assistant at the pharmacy checked my card and also hadn't noticed it had expired. I am happy to pay the prescription charge but feel the penalty charge is a bit unfair given these circumstances. I didn't intentionally not pay as i believed I was still exempt and notification from tax credits surely should have been forthcoming. Has anyone successfully appealed in these circumstances?

Guest101

You don't have a case, it's up to you, not the pharmacist to ensure you have a valid certificate.

TELLIT01

The OP is a bit contradictory. At one point saying that no information had been received from tax credits to indicate no entitlement, but then say that the card had an expiry date which had been passed.
If the card was no longer valid, I presume the OP should have been paying for prescriptions irrespective of the status of the tax credits claim.
I don't see that the OP has any grounds to appeal against the penalty as it is their responsibility to ensure that entitlement exists.

Guest101

TELLIT01 wrote: »

The OP is a bit contradictory. At one point saying that no information had been received from tax credits to indicate no entitlement, but then say that the card had an expiry date which had been passed.
If the card was no longer valid, I presume the OP should have been paying for prescriptions irrespective of the status of the tax credits claim.
I don't see that the OP has any grounds to appeal against the penalty as it is their responsibility to ensure that entitlement exists.

Indeed, in fact the Op could ask for a receipt (I forget the form name) which they can bring back for a refund once their entitlement is confirmed.


But at the time, they did not have a valid card and therefore the penalty is correct.

Placitasgirl

If you had gone over the threshold and were no longer entitled to tax credits, and therefore exemption, it was up to you to advise Tax Credits of the change in your circumstances. They don't keep track of what you earn.

Either way it was your responsibility to either check that the card was still valid before using it, or to update your income and end your entitlement to tax credits, so the penalty is, I believe, perfectly valid. Your mistake has come to light, you are being penalised for it and that is perfectly correct in this situation.

densol_2

NHS exemption cards via tax credits are issued twice a year. The end of April and October and are sent automatically just before the previous one expires. If you are receiving the cards you would know this regular occurrance. The fact you knew your income took you over the limit and you never received the new card AND you never checked the expiry in my view offers you no defence, but theres no harm in explaining the issue and see if they let you off.

Darksparkle

Your certificate expired. You didn't check. It's no use blaming other people.