Over 60s prescriptions

State pension age starts at 66. Government is bringing prescriptions up in-line I suppose. Makes sense if you’re still working i suppose.

Most people not working will be on benefits and getting free prescriptions anyway.
If a person is able to afford to pay, then I agree they should - including those up to retirement age.
Although I am in Scotland, and am on long term prescriptions I think I should be paying too.

If a person can afford to pay for prescriptions, what else should they pay for?

Visits to the GP?

The cost of the ambulance taking them to hospital?

Food while they're in hospital?

Procedures that aren't actually life saving but are life changing?

Life-saving procedures?

Cancer treatment?

Be careful what you wish for.

bikergran

When I was on Jobseekers at the age of 60 I was not allowed free prescriptions. I gave up taking my bp tablets and Cholesterol because I couldn't afford them.

Many years ago my mum - who got free prescriptions due to long term medical condition - was in the pharmacy and heard a lady asking the chemist which were the most important items on the prescription as she couldn't afford all of it. Mum felt bad as she could have afforded to pay but didn't have to, which is how I know about it.

I started getting them free when put on diabetic medication but I got everything free, including antibiotics etc which wouldn't be exempt for others. I'm over 60 now so no-longer have to carry a medical exemption card.

Charging people with medical exemption for items which wouldn't qualify them for it alone would make sense. I'd support means testing for medical exemption as many people could easily afford it. In the same way some well off pensioners give away their winter fuel allowance to charity as they don't need it, people qualifying for medical exemption could maybe choose to donate some or all the savings to an NHS fund.

Sadly some of the richest people in this country hang on to everything they can and don't consider the poor at all, while many of us on low incomes still try to give to those in greater need even though the donations are small and may be sacrificial!

It’s high time these things were means tested, along with the heating allowance and the freedom bus passes. If people can afford to pay then so they should. Times have changed. We should be concentrating on the poorest in our society not subsidising the well off. And we in England certainly should have equal benefits as those living in Wales and Scotland.

And we in England certainly should have equal benefits as those living in Wales and Scotland.

Well write to your MP then. Be sure to remind him that you're willing to pay more tax, like we Scots do. Mind you, we Scots and the Welsh have more sense than vote a Conservative government into power.

And I'm sure that the money spent on means testing people and collecting payments would be more than worth it so that you can feel you're not being cheated by the greedy rich. Or maybe not.

Its discrimination from England for everyone to pay for prescriptions when no one in Scotland or Wales pays anything for prescriptions no matter what their age. If someone is working then its only fair to ask them to pay. If they have a lot of medication they can purchase a Season Ticket which is very reasonable.

It needs to be made clear though if its starting at all whether people already retired at 60 would be paying and if people are only going to be charged if they reach 60 from whatever date the rule comes in or regardless of when they reached 60.

"Gillycats" thats not fair either because some of us have saved to have a comfortable pension so we wouldn't have to be claiming benefits, but if they keep pairing away at any small benefits we do get we wont have enough money left to maintain ourselves and will then have to claim benefit so its a vicious circle.

Right then.

Its really not discrimination, stop saying that. We have a budget to spend in Scotland. We have decided to spend it on providing prescriptions free to everyone. The English NHS would rather spend £37 billion on a useless Track and Trace, and that's their choice. So its not discrimination, because we run our own affairs here when it comes to health and you best get used to it. Becuase we're going to be running a lot more of our affairs in the future.

Gillycats

It’s high time these things were means tested, along with the heating allowance and the freedom bus passes. If people can afford to pay then so they should. Times have changed. We should be concentrating on the poorest in our society not subsidising the well off. And we in England certainly should have equal benefits as those living in Wales and Scotland.

So people who save for a decent old age should have to spend their savings on things that people who haven't get free?

I get so fed up with this way of looking at things. Why not tax everyone more fairly in the first place, so that higher earners pay more? If someone on a low income has saved a bit out of what they have left after tax and living expenses, why should they have it reduced further by means testing?

A decent pension, bus passes and prescriptions - in fact all 'benefits in kind' should be free to all, but paid out of taxation.

I think it will have to happen with the changes in pension age unfortunately. However those in receipt of benefits do not pay charges and the annual payment scheme limits overall cost of prescriptions to around £10 a month, so helps a lot if you're on multiple meds.

the petition was done last year. I and several other people posted links on this site . too late to protest now. There is no official statement as to the planned changes so keep an eye on the news

It is unfair that in England - where the population is largest - we pay for many things that Scotland and Wales don’t. If you think about it we are paying for their freebies. It is called the Barnett formula and more people should be aware of this inequity. Prescriptions are just another example of this.

I am 64 and have no benefits as too young for a state pension. I have a very small private pension . I need long term medication .

Oh for goodness sake, is nobody actually reading this thread before they post their nonsense?

Do you think the Barnett formula is just a lovely handout for the scrounging Scots?

Wisen up.

i agree that in Scotland the equivalent of stamp duty is much higher than in England and so is the duty on alcohol- hence probably used to sub prescriptions. Wales also pays a higher sum on property transactions. I never understand why it is called the UNITED kingdom when we are not united on anything!

Hear hear!!

We pay more income tax too. Sometimes significantly more, if we earn more.

because we are a separate country

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-51407239

If a person is still of working age why not pay? Pre-pay systems are available to reduce costs if multiple items are dispensed.
The individual NHSs of England, Scotland and Wales work in very different ways and what one may fund the others don’t- but use the money (not a bottomless pot) differently according to perceived national need

I was amazed to find, before I was 60, that I was eligible for free prescriptions because I was hypothyroid. That was about 25 years ago, and I am very grateful for my free prescriptions. I suspect that the Tories would like to change the starting age to 66 but are afraid of losing votes.

Yes they are free in Scotland thank goodness. I am a 50's lady and only just got my pension. I could not have fed myself if I had had to pay my prescription charges over the past few years! Thank goodness health is a devolved matter.

You are so right User7777….. we sleep walked our way to female pension age going up to 66….. I know because I was one of the women born between 1950-1960 caught in the trap…. my pocket was pinched to the tune of £13,000 approx. If they can get away with bus passes being issued with your pension they’ll get away with medication next. I’m over 70 now so relatively safe( maybe)…. but you ‘youngsters ‘ had better beware !

If this gov't want to raise money they look to the poor people to fund it and leave the rich alone, I want a gov't who tax the rich properly and who close tax loopholes and collect tax from the wealthy, so I'll be voting Labour or LibDem next time

If you’re diabetic like my ex you get all prescriptions free whatever your age. He even gets aspirin, paracetamol etc on prescription when they’re pence to buy. I agree that life saving insulin has to be free but everything?
There are many examples of money wasted in the NHS including paying armies of administrators to control this sort of thing. As long as that goes on they’ll try to claw money back from those who can least afford it.

This didn't go down well on Mumsnet!