Angry about NHS penalty charges

cinders59

My daughter has had a similar thing happen today.
She has had free dental treatment for 13 years, she is a single parent working to try and support her daughter, she claimes working tax credits,

she had dental treatment in May and as normal signed to say she doesnt pay, today she received a letter saying she has to pay £149, the original price and £100 fine as they couldnt find anything to show she qualifies.

So she rung Working Tax credits and they estimated her earnings and have showed she doesnt recieve free dental treatment so she now has to make a payment plan,

I realise it is her responsibility, but now she has to pay the fine as saying she didnt realise that they had stopped it is not a good enough excuse they told her.

tboo

cinders59 wrote: »

My daughter has had a similar thing happen today.
She has had free dental treatment for 13 years, she is a single parent working to try and support her daughter, she claimes working tax credits,

she had dental treatment in May and as normal signed to say she doesnt pay, today she received a letter saying she has to pay £149, the original price and £100 fine as they couldnt find anything to show she qualifies.

So she rung Working Tax credits and they estimated her earnings and have showed she doesnt recieve free dental treatment so she now has to make a payment plan,

I realise it is her responsibility, but now she has to pay the fine as saying she didnt realise that they had stopped it is not a good enough excuse they told her.

I believe to get free dental treatment on WTC you get a card - has she not had one then?

cinders59

tboo wrote: »

I believe to get free dental treatment on WTC you get a card - has she not had one then?

No she had an exemption written into her award in previous years

poppy12345

cinders59 wrote: »

No she had an exemption written into her award in previous years

Are you sure about that? That's not what usually happens. If she was exempt then she would receive an NHS tax exemption certificate from HMRC. https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/exemption-certificates/nhs-tax-credit-exemption-certificates

cinders59

poppy12345 wrote: »

Are you sure about that? That's not what usually happens. If she was exempt then she would receive an NHS tax exemption certificate from HMRC. https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/exemption-certificates/nhs-tax-credit-exemption-certificates

maybe she did get a cert, but when she rung the tax credits today they told her that they did not issue her with one this April

tboo

So if she wasn't eligible for free treatment in April then her May treatment should have been paid for I'm afraid to say


She can ask for the penalty to be waived - don't ask don't get ifyswim