School leaving date definition for free NHS prescriptions

Moneyer

Anybody know the exact definition of school leaving date for Y13s, for the purpose of being in full-time education and therefore eligible for free NHS prescriptions? Will my son who is currently taking A-levels cease to be eligible for free prescriptions on the day of his last exam, or the last day of the exam period, or the last day of the school term, or on some other date? He is still 17, in case that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance!

Spoonie_Turtle

Will he be going into full-time education afterwards?  If so then free prescriptions continue until he's 19 anyway.

If not, I keep seeing 'the last Friday in June' in different contexts - maybe ask his school/college what date they consider the year to end for Year 13?

Moneyer

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Will he be going into full-time education afterwards?  If so then free prescriptions continue until he's 19 anyway.

He's holding an offer to do so (from September), but that's conditional upon his A-level results so won't be known for sure until August, so I don't see how he can be considered to be in full-time education over the summer when he has definitely finished school and there is no certainty that he will be returning to education?!

Mojisola

Wouldn't he be entitled to still claim them because of a low (even no) income -

HC1 form 'Claim for Help with Health Costs'

Spoonie_Turtle

Moneyer said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Will he be going into full-time education afterwards?  If so then free prescriptions continue until he's 19 anyway.

He's holding an offer to do so (from September), but that's conditional upon his A-level results so won't be known for sure until August, so I don't see how he can be considered to be in full-time education over the summer when he has definitely finished school and there is no certainty that he will be returning to education?!

Oh that's good, makes it simple:

In-between two education courses

If you're in-between two full-time education courses you're entitled to help with health costs until you turn 19.

The offer can be conditional or unconditional, it does not affect your entitlement.

https://faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-04015/en-us

Clearly the intention is there so it counts until/unless it were to fall through, or he decides not to go for any reason.

Floss

If you get child benefit for him, when does that finish? I seem to remember it was the end of August after the 18th birthday, same for child maintenance payments.