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Scrapping free prescriptions for people 60-66

(34 Posts)
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Visgir1 Thu 02-Sept-21 10:16:24

If you have to wait until your 66 - 67 for you state pension and you work. I think you should pay, I was surprised when I reached 60 that prescription charges became free.
If your exempt, you know its free or a year's pre paid is about £110 (?).

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Calendargirl Thu 02-Sept-21 09:42:28

It should be brought in line with state pension age. Surely the whole idea of free prescriptions was when you retired at 60? Now that has altered, it follows that all associated benefits, i.e. prescriptions, bus passes, leisure facilities, etc should be for the new age.

Harsh, but logical.

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Aveline Thu 02-Sept-21 09:38:53

I'd be happy to pay for prescriptions if it meant that those who were unable to would benefit.

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love0c Thu 02-Sept-21 09:30:24

Hetty58 It would be a totally wrong decision to start and make people oved the age of 60 start to pay now, when we know it is free for all in Scotland and Wales.

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Hetty58 Thu 02-Sept-21 09:24:59

I don't see why they should be free for people below retirement age. A prescription charge is less than £10, I believe - and there are prepayment arrangements for those needing regular ones.

I think dental fees are a far worse problem. A friend (with no private pension) had to find hundreds of pounds to have her teeth fixed. She was selling furniture etc. on Ebay to fund it!

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love0c Thu 02-Sept-21 09:24:37

I agree. I think I am correct in saying they are free for all their own citizens in Scotland and Wales.

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eazybee Thu 02-Sept-21 09:23:18

I was surprised to find my prescriptions were free from the age of sixty as I worked until sixty-five and could afford to pay for them.
Likewise a free bus pass.

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Harris27 Thu 02-Sept-21 09:18:52

Well we should have free prescriptions as they’ve taken everything else from us. I need mine to keep me going out to work till 66!

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vegansrock Thu 02-Sept-21 09:12:49

I wondered what peoples views on this suggestion are?
“Scrapping free prescription charges for people over 60 and raising the qualifying age to 66 could have a devastating impact on the health of tens of thousands of older people, new analysis by Age UK suggests.
In a joint open letter urging the government to reconsider proposals to scrap free prescriptions for over-60s in England, 20 healthcare organisations expressed “deep shared concerns” that the move would leave many patients unable to afford medication, intensifying existing health inequalities and having a devastating impact on some older people’s health.
A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consultation on proposals to raise the qualifying age for free NHS prescriptions in England from 60 to 66, in line with the state pension age, will close on Thursday after generating more than 32,000 responses.”

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