Prescription Pre payment card

wallace7

I am not sure that this is the right section for this post but I don't know where else to post it.
My partner has an NHS prepayment card for his prescriptions as he is on quite a lot of medication. He pays monthly by direct debit. It is usually me who collects his medication from the chemists and they dont ask to see the card as they have seen it once and recognise me as I am I regularly.
This morning I received a letter from the NHS - it was a bill for £133. It seems that his pre payment card which he has had for over 4 years and renews every year, accidentally lapsed for a month. I wasn't aware and collected his medication as usual and declared on the back of the prescription that he had a pre payment card. I feel sick that they have sent him a bill for £133 for this oversight. I am struggling enough at the moment without having to pay this. Has anyone else had this happen? Do you if there is anyway I can reason with them to get them to agree to drop the charges? It was a genuine oversight and it is just one month and one prescription, surely they can't charge £133 for this?

[Deleted User]

Don't worry. I have an exemption card and the same thing happened, forgot to renew by about a month. They waived the fine and told me off.

Ames

An exemption card isn't the same as a prepayment certificate though.

OP all you can do is appeal, explain and hope they cancel it.

unforeseen

If you pay by DD I thought you got a reminder letter and it automatically renewed if you did nothing?

Savvy_Sue

I think you need to work out how it lapsed if your partner pays by DD. Their error, or your partner's? Was the DD not collected one month, or did it 'bounce' at your partner's end?

Once you know that, then get back to them and appeal.

The way we do it, we don't have a DD. DH gets a certificate for three months, and towards the end of its life gets his scripts renewed, then lets it lapse for a month. But we do have to be very organised!

DomRavioli

wallace7 wrote: »

I am not sure that this is the right section for this post but I don't know where else to post it.
My partner has an NHS prepayment card for his prescriptions as he is on quite a lot of medication. He pays monthly by direct debit. It is usually me who collects his medication from the chemists and they dont ask to see the card as they have seen it once and recognise me as I am I regularly.
This morning I received a letter from the NHS - it was a bill for £133. It seems that his pre payment card which he has had for over 4 years and renews every year, accidentally lapsed for a month. I wasn't aware and collected his medication as usual and declared on the back of the prescription that he had a pre payment card. I feel sick that they have sent him a bill for £133 for this oversight. I am struggling enough at the moment without having to pay this. Has anyone else had this happen? Do you if there is anyway I can reason with them to get them to agree to drop the charges? It was a genuine oversight and it is just one month and one prescription, surely they can't charge £133 for this?

You pay per item, not per "prescription". So it's one charge per item which is where the 133 may have come from (plus a fine). The letter should explain that.

And as advised, if you failed to pay the DD then all you can do is appeal, and if that fails you have to pay it.

mrcol1000

The whole system is badly run. Mine renews every year. However the first payment of the new card is not until two weeks till after the old one runs out. They also will not send a new one out till two weeks after the first payment runs out. So in effect I have no valid card for four weeks when I have to pay prescriptions myself, despite still paying for this card. You then claim it all back once you get your new one. However it soon adds up for money you have to pay out while you are waiting.

As the OP shows there is obviously no system of checking validity of these cards.

DomRavioli

mrcol1000 wrote: »

The whole system is badly run. Mine renews every year. However the first payment of the new card is not until two weeks till after the old one runs out. They also will not send a new one out till two weeks after the first payment runs out. So in effect I have no valid card for four weeks when I have to pay prescriptions myself, despite still paying for this card. You then claim it all back once you get your new one. However it soon adds up for money you have to pay out while you are waiting.

As the OP shows there is obviously no system of checking validity of these cards.

There is a system for checking validity - you can call the NHSBA, the people who issue them and they will happily tell you if you have a valid card, and if so, when it runs out. they can also send you a replacement free of charge if you lose yours.

[Deleted User]

mrcol1000 wrote: »

The whole system is badly run. Mine renews every year. However the first payment of the new card is not until two weeks till after the old one runs out. They also will not send a new one out till two weeks after the first payment runs out. So in effect I have no valid card for four weeks when I have to pay prescriptions myself, despite still paying for this card. You then claim it all back once you get your new one. However it soon adds up for money you have to pay out while you are waiting.

As the OP shows there is obviously no system of checking validity of these cards.

What a palaver, I just get on the blower and order a PPC using my credit card, that way I know I've got one.

KxMx

mrcol1000 wrote: »

The whole system is badly run. Mine renews every year. However the first payment of the new card is not until two weeks till after the old one runs out. They also will not send a new one out till two weeks after the first payment runs out. So in effect I have no valid card for four weeks when I have to pay prescriptions myself, despite still paying for this card. You then claim it all back once you get your new one. However it soon adds up for money you have to pay out while you are waiting.

As the OP shows there is obviously no system of checking validity of these cards.

As a previous PPC holder, you tell the pharmacy you have a valid card but it's not arrived/ left at home etc.

They then mark it is "proof not seen" and it's checked the other end. Where it's discovered you did/do indeed have a valid card.

No need to pay and then claim a refund.

I do the above now if i've left my benefit letter at home and I never have any problems.

wallace7

unforeseen wrote: »

If you pay by DD I thought you got a reminder letter and it automatically renewed if you did nothing?

Yes I thought so too which is why I told the chemist that he had a valid PPC. I will check his bank account and see if the payments were taken every month without a break.
Thanks