Nhs prepayment penalty

BorisThomson

The card does have an expiry date on it. What is on your card?

How long before the incorrect declaration was the DD ended?

Are you entitled to a medical exemption?

HogMan

I too pay for prescriptions using the prepayment certificate paid by D/D. It does normally automatically renew each year and the NHS send you a letter each year to inform you that it is the case.


I was aware of a problem last year where for some reason they could not auto renew and I had to reapply and set up a new direct debit. They did however communicate this to me by letter. Perhaps this is what happened?

jenniewb

HogMan wrote: »

I too pay for prescriptions using the prepayment certificate paid by D/D. It does normally automatically renew each year and the NHS send you a letter each year to inform you that it is the case.


I was aware of a problem last year where for some reason they could not auto renew and I had to reapply and set up a new direct debit. They did however communicate this to me by letter. Perhaps this is what happened?

From what I understand they said they wrote to the OP but she did not get a letter.


OP have you spoken to the people who deal with the NHS prescription charges- explain you would have been able to continue with your pre-paid certificate but it had been curtailed without your knowledge.


It may end up being viewed as a good-will gesture, but if you are finding you are not getting anywhere (try to speak to a person rather than emails or letters back and forth) you could try asking the CAB if they have any advice on what to do.


If you have no letter and they say they sent a letter, then it's up to them to prove that they did send something and that it arrived and this is what I'd be asking them for initially.
Once this has been resolved either way I'd next be looking at asking if you can re-purchase a certificate and back-date it to cover the prescription (if this is possible) and if not, then asking for a goodwill gesture (even if you didn't know, they may not view it this way and unless you are willing to take it to a higher power, it's going to have to be a case of biting your tongue here). If they are set in their minds about paying up and you can't manage the costs, ask if they would be willing to cut the costs at all or spread any payment.


If you do make any decisions with anyone, take down dates, names and times and if you need to refer back to people and calls it should be easier to trace things with them in some cases. Ask also if there are any reference details they can give you so you can ensure if there are any issues in the future that you have everything logged. Try to get anything final written in a letter or an email from them at the very least so you can refer back to it if needed.

pmduk

jenniewb wrote: »

If you have no letter and they say they sent a letter, then it's up to them to prove that they did send something and that it arrived and this is what I'd be asking them for initially.

Sadly, most Government Departments work on the basis that once they have posted a letter it is deemed as having been received [IIRC] two days later. It never hurts to hope for leniency, but relying on it can lead to disappointment.

kirtondm

Trouble is their is no way to diffrentiate from a genuine case like yours and a delibrate fradualent applicaion where someone has just ticked the box knowing they are not in reciept so I wouldn't expect them to back down.

At the end of the day they have a copy of a document where you have certified you have a valid card when you don't.

In opticans we are required to check evidence and then cross a box if we have not seen it - I am suprised the same does not exist in pharmacies as that might have promted you to check the date on your card.

pmduk

It does, if you examine a prescription there is large box for the pharmacy to mark if they haven't examined the documentation. The Prescription Exemption Checking Service then checks a random number of the scripts.

HogMan

In the pharmacist I go to they record the fact you have a pre payment certificate and its expiry date. They then know when to check that it has been renewed.

Jane2017

Thanks to all who replied!

In the end I just paid them what they said I owed, and set-up a completely new DD and pre-payment certificate. It was easier to do this than continue with an ongoing dispute, as they simply didn't believe me and I needed to collect more medication!

I suppose the money goes back to the NHS at the end of the day, and the medication costs more than I pay in prescription charges. Therefore, I'm grateful for the NHS- even though it was wrong of them to cancel the direct debit when it should have been automated...

I'll be sure to keep an eye on the payments going out in future.

pmduk

I scan the PPC (or actually now FP92 in my case) so I have a copy on Google drive (accessible from my phone) and diarise expiry dates.

VfM4meplse

Jane2017 wrote: »

Thanks to all who replied!

In the end I just paid them what they said I owed, and set-up a completely new DD and pre-payment certificate. It was easier to do this than continue with an ongoing dispute, as they simply didn't believe me and I needed to collect more medication!

I am disappointed in this. Anyone with an iota or common sense at the NHSBSA should have understood an honest mistake and written it off.

I think there's merit in claiming a refund. You paid up because it was the easiest option, it was not an acknowledgement of wilful fraud. Get that on record at least.