Paying retrospective prescription charges

chrisaw

Hi, I wonder if anyone could offer some advice? My husband and I have been exempt from prescription charges for years due to receipt of working tax credits. Sometimes our exemption certificates have arrived late - sometimes we have received two for a given period, so we weren't concerned when our last exemption certificates expired and we didn't receive another one straight away. The result is that until I double checked on the appropriate website a couple of weeks ago and discovered that our income has exceeded the threshold for exemption for working tax credits we were both claiming for free dental treatment and prescriptions. As soon as we realised we started to pay, however my husband has now received a penalty notice for dental treatment he received during August. We acknowledge that each time we claimed we signed a declaration and that it's our responsibility is to check. However given that as soon as we discovered our error we've started paying, my question is whether we can retrospectively pay for prescription charges without incurring further penalty charges?

My real concern, which I haven't told my husband about as yet, is having checked the online information there is a section on criminal charges for repeat offenders. My husband has a Thyroid condition, which means he gets monthly presriptions so there will have been a number of occasions since the last certificate expired where he has claimed incorrectly. I haven't told him about this because it will totally freak him out. We have no problem with the principle of paying for prescriptions and also with paying for the prescriptions we have fulfilled but without knowing how draconian the authorities are we would be reticent about getting in touch to ask about this.

beckstar1975

No idea but thyroid related scripts should always be free due to being an exempted condition, check here http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1126.aspx

unforeseen

beckstar1975 wrote: »

No idea but thyroid related scripts should always be free due to being an exempted condition, check here http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1126.aspx

But only for HYPOthyroidism not HYPERthyroidism. Depends on which OPs hubby has

chrisaw

Unfortunately, he's hyper :-(

pmlindyloo

I think you would only pay one penalty charge if you 'fess up' to what has happened and pay back what you have claimed in error. Not sure though - hopefully they could 'lump' them all together and get the one penalty charge.

You won't know unless you ask.

Telephone them and explain what has happened. You may wish to state that you would have paid for a yearly prescription card/applied for help through low income scheme etc etc if you had realised your mistake and you were no longer entitled. Also tell them that you didn't always receive your tax credit exemption certification on time so didn't worry.

If you are very apologetic and ask how you can put this right they might be more lenient.

Contact details here:

http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionServices/4666.aspx

NYM

Just contact them
They won't keep adding charges on if you make arrangements to pay it back.

TELLIT01

If you are able to show that there was a regular pattern to the problems with the exemption certificates it may help to mitigate any fines, but the bottom line is that it is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that they don't claim free prescriptions when they don't have an entitlement.

Tommo1980

Forget 'criminal charges'. That does not apply to you. There was no intent to defraud. You made a mistake and you took action to rectify it when you realised.

You just need to ring, explain the situation and get yourself up to date with what you owe.

Tom

zwolle

i have the same problem here they charge me £8 ptescription plus £42.50 penalty charge which 5 times the prescription itself.
they are very strict and helpful i am not on benefit or so i am hard working with basic salry of 21K.
I begg them to remove the penalty charge they refused they told me this legislation agreed by the house of common and there is no way to temove the charge while other people on benefit and icome support getting every thing for free.
This not fair on working people they should at least remove the penalty charge so every one can afford pay for ptescription

zwolle

They allow you 28 days only they use their authority and increased the penalty charge.
what so ever reason you give them they dont agree they are rude and helpful
just bullying and stressful

zwolle

Not helpful