Prescription Charges

Bluebelle But if pension credit went up £30 a week you might well benefit from that. And what about those with even less money than you who cannot use bus passes because there is no bus, or the bus sto is too far away for them to walk there, so have to pay for taxis or run cars? I know people on basic pension only who have to run cars because there is no alternative.

Anyway, if free passes went I think the bus companies, like the railways, will bring in their own pensioner bus card that enables cheap travel on the buses, probably limited to outside the rush hour, but still cheaper than paying full fare.

I agree that doling out ring fenced benefits is condescending, but I also think that people should not be forced to decide between eating and being healthy. For many, the cost of a prescription passport could represent 3 weeks' groceries.

I also feel that giving everything to those on PC and making those who saved into occupational pensions pay for everything is unfair. If we want people to provide for themselves in retirement we need to stop the system that gives free social care, free rent, free prescriptions and so on to those who don't save into pensions, and nothing to those who do. Where is the incentive there?

It would be wrong to cut the living standards of those on PC, and there is no real way to justify paying the rent of those who are excluded from it, so the fairest way I can think of is to at least stop means-testing things like prescriptions and social care.

I also take issue with those who think they can decide what others can afford. It implies that there is a baseline that older people should live on, and that everything above that is an extravagance to which they are not entitled, even if they have saved all their lives to get it.

As a daft example that I assume won't apply to anyone reading, if someone has spent their life working towards being able to eat caviar for every meal in old age, why should they have to forego that in order to pay for blood thinners or whatever, when their neighbour who ate caviar for every meal as a young person so now has no money left gets their prescriptions free?

Oh Doodledog your analogy is exactly right, good on ‘ya!

I am in full time work at 61 but have a few medical issues that require monthly prescriptions. Before 60 I was happy to pay the annual prescription fee. However, I do feel for those on low incomes who are finding it difficult making ends meet who are forced to work until 66 with health issues. Many have paid many years of contributions to their pension only to see the date of their state pension moved, sometimes twice. It doesn't seem fair.

Monica as I explained I don’t get PC but my yearly pension income is below the PC level but I have about a years worth of care fees in a special account which takes me over the level to get PC and I accept, that it’s my choice to keep those savings for a ‘rainy day’
You really think I should lose my bus pass because some people can’t use them I don’t get your logic
If the bus passes went in my area the buses would cease over night as no one else uses them

If every pensioner can have a bus pass then there is no stigma in having one. If, like AlegriasI and me, you are fortunate enough to have a reasonable income, you pay tax. I don't see a problem here. My husband pays more tax than he would if we didn't live in Scotland, but he gets his prescriptions free. He is happy to pay the extra tax - it is the price we pay for living in a reasonably civilised society.

I was surprised when I reached 60 that prescription charges became free. I was not getting my pension until I was 66, so still paying NI and tax, didn't understand why this was free, couldn't believe any Government had not changed this?
Sorry I think you should pay charges if you are still working.
The cost of some drugs is eye-watering.
You can but am Annual prescription charge for £108 ish which covers everything.
This is aimed at future 66 year olds not those already getting this benefit.

Doodledog the majority of tthose living on state pension only are doing it because they never earned enough to be able to save for their retirement. I spent 10 years visiting elderly people at home completing benfit forms . I meant many who worked as farmworkers, labourers in all kinds of industries who considere themselves fortunate if they had saved up enough to pay for their funeral.

If you increase PC, by, say £30 a week, or whatever the average value of these extras is, it gives everyone now on PC an extra £30 or so a week, they are at no disadvantage as instead of getting little ring fenced sums of money, thy get them as a regular add on to their weekly pension and a rise in PC brings in many other people under the protection of PC, who now do not get it.

he whole point of what I think should happen will leave poorer pensioners at worst in the same position as they are, and could also, hopefully give them a few more £s a week in income.

I only once met anyone, who should and could have saved for their old age, but didn't.

If you have lots of prescriptions you get a season ticket that costs £108 a year, and covers all prescriptions, no matter how many you need That is a cost just a few pennies more than £2.00 a week.

Or, just give everyone free prescriptions.....

Many don't realise that not all prescriptions are "free", a wig prescription is around £75.70, even if you are over 60!

Good analogy doodledog sensible post as usual

there are people who are over 60, yet are not earning a wage.
they will not get their pension until at least 66.
some may be in receipt of carer's allowance, which equates to less than 10 pounds a day to live on.
hopefully they may have a few savings, being used for bills etc.
of course, once they receive the state pension, then the carer's allowance is no longer paid. so not living high on the hog.
anyway, carers who have had to pay for their own prescriptions until age 60, may have been glad of that little concession once they reached 60.
but some posters think it's unreasonable extravagance for the govt.
try living on 10 pounds a day.

People whose only income is Carer's Allowance should enquire about an HC2 certificate, which grants eligibility for free prescriptions, dentistry and eye tests.

Good post griwstuff.

There is a lot of emotive language here. Welbeck, obviously it would be grossly unfair for people on a low income to have to pay. Just as it's silly for people who can afford it, at whatever age, to get prescriptions free.

Although I believe that medicine should be free in principle I would argue for a small dispensing fee to be charged, say £1 per item.
This would act as a deterrent to those who collect their free prescription then stockpile the medicine.
I have firsthand experience of older people especially having large amounts of medicines they did not use.
I also have experience of selling items where when offered free were snapped up but when a tiny sum was asked suddenly very few were interested.

Can't agree with those who state that free prescriptions should be stopped and PC increased by £30. Many older people are taking several medications - just 4 would cost over £37. I know it is possible to buy a "season ticket" but how many pensioners on a low income would be able to find in excess of £100? Surely the people to ask about this are those who are on a low income - not those who are "able to pay".

Some people can be so disparaging about 'people who have not paid into extra pension schemes'. Many people on Pension Credit are there for verymany different reasons.
Myself, I stopped paid employment when I became a foster parent. Back then, we did not receive actualy payments for this, just expenses - but it fitted in well for my situation. I fostered very many young children, a couple staying for years. Also brought up our own children and as hubbie (became worse and worse with his MS was his (unpaid) carer.

I really feel that I did 'pay in' to the state system. Returned to part-teimepaid employment at the age of 61 -69 years of age. So my state pension is very much short of the full amount, therefore I claim and receive PC.

Yes, this does give me some automatic other benefits - assistance with eye and dental appointments, Council Tax relief, tv licence and the extra (at present) £140. annual help with my leccie.

Personally, I agree with Monica and would like ALL these little extras (including that very silly £10 Christmas 'bonus'). I am sure that the cost of administration of these 'extras' is very high. Have we not been told that to try to change the Winter Fuel Allowance away from everybody - to the poorer pensioners would cost too much?

I also think that most local bus services would be happy to run their own pensioner discount tickets to try to keep buses busy during working hours.

As for prescription charges, I find them disgraceful - thought we were supposed to have medical care and treatment free at the point of use. Sadly, I know many working people who just do not collect their GP prescriptions as they cannot afford them.

M0nica

Doodledog but the same thing happened when the retirement age was 60 - and often mandatory, no choice like today.

I have said often and I will repeat. I think all the bells and whistle, free prescriptions, winter fuel allowance, free bus passes, I used to say tv licence, but that has already gone ,should all go.

The Pension Credit limit could then be increased sufficiently to ensure that those now on PC are not out of pocket. Raising the PC limit, say, £30 a week, would then bring many more people into the PC net and those above it, of which I am one can pay for all these things out for themselves.

I have always it considered it demeaning to older people that we are given these carefully ring fenced benefits, as if we could not be trusted to do make our own decisions about how we spend our money.

Also pensioner benefit from these benefits is variable from person. if you do not get regular medication you lose out on free prescriptions. Some people through disability or the absence of buses cannot benefit from free buspasses, and have to rely on taxis or running a car, or a voluntary car service, for which they receive no monetary aid to balance against those using buspasses.

But pension credit at the moment is only about £2 less than the basic state pension, in todays money people on pension credit would get £207.10 a week this is more than someone on the basic pension of £179.60 so the basic state pension would have to be increased to the same amount as means tested pension credit cannot be higher than the contribution based state pension, factor in the fact that more and more people will only get the basic due to the 2016 rules no matter how many years they pay NI that's going to be a lot of pensioners being paid £30 a week extra for what?? benefits they already get on a pension of £30 a week less.

Where on earth have you got the idea that you lose out on free prescriptions if you don't have regular medication that's simply not true, at the moment there are ways people under 60 can get free prescriptions 2 are income based, either being in receipt of qualifying state benefits including WTC and UC or qualifying for the NHS means tested low income scheme also certain medical conditions enable people to get free prescriptions using a medical exemption card, none of these also has an requirement for people to also be on regular medication in order to qualify, there is a prepaid certificate that makes it more cost effective for people on regular medication as you pay a flat rate, but that's it.

I agree with Oldwoman70 that we should ask those on low incomes, as those who are ‘able to pay’ are often very free and easy about telling others what they can afford.

I will never agree that the answer is means testing. Not because I am ‘disparaging’ about people on PC - not at all - but because it is unfair to those who don’t get it and miss out on all the benefits.

I know that anecdotal evidence is annoying, but as an example my MIL is 96 and worked until she was in her 70s (when her husband hit 65 and retired). She has a small pension which keeps her out of PC, unlike her friend who did not work after having her children in the 1950s, and does qualify. The difference is huge, as the friend gets so many concessions that MIL does not.

I don’t want to see the friend’s money cut, and I am not saying that she is not deserving, or any of the things that people always seem to read into whatever I say about means testing.

I just don’t think that people like my MIL should be comparatively worse off because they have worked.

In that case, you presumably think your MIL should receive the same benefits as her friend.

I’m very glad that I’m 68! I take seven different types of medication per day so if I had to pay, the cost would be astronomical.

growstuff

In that case, you presumably think your MIL should receive the same benefits as her friend.

Maybe. I don’t know. I suppose that’s an argument for UBI.

It just think that when people go on about others being ‘able to afford’ things they lose sight of the fact that for many people, affording one thing means doing without something else - it’s so short sighted. I am not arguing for anyone to face cuts, though.

I have filled in the online questionnaire, We won't be able to afford the prescription payments, we each have 4 lots of tablets to take it will cost us a fortune! it would be different if people got their state pension when they were supposed to get it, it would help with the cost.
say if someone should have got their full state pension at 60 and had worked full time but now have to wait until they are 66 or over i would dread to add it up and just see how much money they have been done out off and totalling it up for everyone who have been done out of years of pension it must run into millions of pounds, haven't they got enough out of us pensioners!! what will happen is people will go to the GP they will need a prescription to get better but if they cannot afford it they will just bin it and probably end up in hospital for weeks costing the NHS even more it's beyond belief

We don't ask about these benefits because they do not entitle you to help with NHS costs:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Incapacity Benefit
Attendance Allowance
Carer's Allowance
Housing Benefit
Child Benefit
Council Tax Benefit

the above extract is from the form for HC2, free prescriptions, dental etc, fron NHS Business Services page.

services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-for-help-paying-nhs-costs/benefits
so as informed at dentists and pharmacy, oticians, there is no help for those in receipt of carers' allowance, aged under 60.

wellback Anybody with an income below a certain amount (can't remember the actual figure but it's about £14,000 a year) is eligible for the NHS's low income scheme without being in receipt of specific benefits.

There is help available for those on low incomes. Carer's Allowance on its own doesn't give you eligibility. It depends what on whatever other sources of income you have.