Prescription charges have been frozen at £9.90 but some people may be able to cut this down to £0
NHS prescriptions charges for patients in England have been frozen at £9.90 for the second year in a row until next April. Previously, the prescription charges were increased at the beginning of each tax year, with the last rise increasing it from £9.65 to £9.90 in April 2024.
However, some people may be able to get them at a discounted rate or even for no cost at all but they will need to meet specific criteria and potentially provide proof. There’s a broad range of exemptions that could qualify people for free prescriptions including their age, having certain conditions or medications and their income levels.
Claiming free prescriptions incorrectly could lead to a penalty charge. More information is available on the NHSBSA website including an online test which can show if you might be eligible for free prescriptions.
Age
People who are under 16 or between 16 and 18 but are in full-time education normally qualify for prescriptions. Similarly people aged 60 and over receive free prescriptions on the NHS.
Your date of birth is usually electronically noted on the prescription so people rarely need to provide proof of age when claiming their free prescriptions.
Benefits
People receiving at least one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit
There is additional criteria you’ll need to meet if you want to claim free prescriptions through your Universal Credit benefit. People may also be eligible if they don’t get these benefits themselves but rather if they are listed on a benefit award such as a dependent under the age of 20 or a partner of the recipient.
Medical conditions
A number of different conditions can qualify for a medical exemption certificate allowing you to get free NHS prescriptions. You need to have the certificate, not just a qualifying condition, to be eligible and you may have to show it as proof when collecting your medication.
You can apply for a certificate through your GP and a full list of eligible conditions can be found online. People currently being treated as an NHS inpatient also usually receive free prescriptions while in the service.
Pregnant women or new mothers with a valid maternity exemption certificate and people with a valid war pension exemption certificate needing a prescription for an accepted disability may also qualify for free prescriptions.
For people that don’t qualify for entirely free prescriptions, there’s still a number of ways they could potentially lower the costs of these items. HC2 and HC3 certificates are available to people meeting the criteria on a low income which may fully or partially help with health costs.
Pre-payment certificates can also help save money by paying for multiple months of prescriptions at a slightly lower cost although these are usually only cost efficient for those needing two or more prescription items each month.
