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To: Secretary of State for Health Steve Barclay

Keep prescriptions free for Over 60s

The Government has decided that the prescription charge upper age exemption will remain at 60, meaning that it will not align to the State Pension age. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/aligning-the-upper-age-for-nhs-prescription-charge-exemptions-with-the-state-pension-age/outcome/aligning-the-upper-age-for-nhs-prescription-charge-exemptions-with-the-state-pension-age-government-response#introduction

Keep prescriptions free for Over 60s

Why is this important?

The Government wants to move the age people can get free prescriptions up from 60 to 66 years old.

This is directed to anyone in England. The devolved governments have chosen to offer free prescriptions for all. Raising the age at which free prescriptions are offered would further increase this disparity.

Many women have been hit twice by the increases to state retirement age, please do not add a third. As this only applies to England, it makes such a change even more burdensome as less than 10% of prescriptions are actually paid for. The over 60s suffer increasing health problems, that could be exacerbated if prescriptions needed to be paid for. People could choose not to pay, which then puts a greater burden on the NHS. This is a shortsighted idea that needs to be nipped in the bud now.

England, UK

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2021-07-05 15:55:05 +0100

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