Whilst I’ve been posting about benefits, I’ve remembered that not everyone is told about prescriptions.
If you have cancer you are AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED TO FREE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR 5 YEARS - for everything, not just cancer related meds. This is not based on income either, you are medically exempt.
Ring up your Doctors and ask them for a form - they can confirm taht you have cancer and you send off the form and get a medical exemption card.
You go to pick up your prescription from hospital or from chemists, show them your exemption card, fill in the back of the prescription that you are exempt, they tick they’ve seen your card and bobs your uncle - free.
This is even more people who are working full time, it isn’t just if you’re on benefits or income based.
The only way I found out about this was by worrying out loud to my BCN about how the hell we were going to afford all the prescription chages that I could get on £60 a week.
I think there is an assumption that everyone knows what they are entitled to - and we don’t.
its amazing that this is not part of the introductory information. Mind you,I am too old to pay prescription charges, so perhaps that is why they did not tell me.
the lovely dispenser at my surgery actually handed me a form to apply as soon as they knew about my diagnosis. But the hospital nurses had also told me.
Free dental treatment - I checked that. It depends on your financial circumstances, my OH is working so can’t get free dental treatment. But if he was unemployed I could.
What I would say to everyone is check for each potential claim for EACH thing, Blue disabled parking badge, free dental treatment, tax credits etc. A lot depends on diagnosis, on income etc.
don’t assume that Macmillan advisors tell you everything - I wasn’t told about tax credits for example, just on ESA.
But I do say, check EVERYTHING out because you’d be surprised, we were really relieved about tax credits because my OH is bringing in £1k a month, not enough to pay all our bills, food, mortgage, countil tax, debt etc. So getting tax credits and ESA means we can just about stay afloat.
i have never been asked to show my card, i’m guessing my headscarf is enough for the chemist peolpe!.. i have thought about sending a friend to get my pills and see if they actually ask her for proof!
Ahhh, but all prescriptions are logged and they are checked by NHS so if you fraudulently claimed then you’d be busted and sent a letter. If you do it more than once you are prosecuted for fraud.
I wasn’t asked on my last lot of meds from the local chemists (Headscarf) and i said “dont you want to see my card” and they said “nope, we have you logged” (?!!!)
Nobody mentioned free prescriptions to me either. Didn’t know about it, when I paid over £7 for an antibiotic cream for shingles a couple of weeks ago.
Only just read about it a couple of days ago (at 3am, high on steroids for tax) on the breast cancer care site, on some info page. Talked to my GPs secretary this morning and the paperwork has already been filled in for me to sign tomorrow. Cool.
I am already treated on private medical insurance and don’t cost the nhs any money, I think somebody could have mentioned the free prescriptions. Ah, well, free soon for 5 years.
