i recently ran out of some medication, which i get free through my insurance and private care, but i had to pay for extra tablets i needed. my onc is in london so hard to get in needs like these.
ive been told that i wont be entitled to the free prescriptions. anyone else experience the same?
Hema
x
Yes, its costimg me a fortune at the moment as my wound is infected and district nurse has been coming every day for last 3 weeks, so far cost me over £ 40 in prescriptions and I am only getting statutory sick pay,company sick pay has stopped and ssp will stop next week !!!
Mary
xx
Hi Hema and Mary
I’m on incapacity benefit (Mary have you applied for this?) and once you are on it, you get free prescriptions. Before that, I bought a pre-payment card which allowed me any number of prescriptions for the life of the pre-payment card.
Ruby xx
I have a form to fill in, but info I have read you cannot free prescriptions as it is pay related.Don’t know wether to send it as prob going back to work July
Thanks
Mary
xx
Mary - fill in the form and get it sent in - I beleive it should be back-dated to when you went onto SSP.
I got a pre-paid prescription card in February on the advice of my GP, he told me to go to him for anything that I need and he will put it on prescription … he gave me dressings and such like after my surgery. I paid �40 for a 4 month pre-paid card but this is now reduced to �40 for 12 months in Scotland. I will certainly be taking an annual card when my current on runs out
I have been advised to get a pre-pay card so will sort that.i will fill form out this weekend
Thanks
Mary
xx
Hi Mary
You don’t get free prescriptions on SSP but you may be able to get your pre-payment certificate back dated by filling in the form and sending it off. You need to keep your receipts for the prescriptions you’ve already had and then apply to get a refund. I had to go to each pharmacy I’d got prescriptions from to get the refunds.
Ruby x
The pre-paid card can be bought over the counter at any chemist and if you have a prescription to collect at the same time then that is covered by the card. Well worth getting one.
Hi Hema
yes I know what you mean here, if you are treated privately you have private prescriptions, but your GP should fill in gaps for you. mine are quite reasonable about this, have you tried? I would suggest talking to them and explaining, they should give you painkillers etc on NHS prescription - you should not have to pay. I have all hormonals through NHS and any painkillers but am treated privately.
I have a pre pay certificate and well worth it,
catherine
Hi,
I get SSP and get free prescriptions,dental treatment(NHS only),eye tests,glasses and travel costs.
You can also claim back the £57 first wig charge.
You have to fill in a HC1’Claim for health costs’ form which you can send for online from www.direct.gov.ukdirect.gov.uk
They will then send you a HC2 Certificate which you take with you when you go to Chemist,Dentist etc and you won’t have to pay.
Alli.
Thanks Alli
Will try that
Mary
x
Hiya,
Im on Incapacity Benefit and that is all im entitled to. No free prescriptions or anything else as my partner is classed as earning too much wage…if only!
I have now been diagnosed with liver secondaries and am hoping that I will now be entitled to some other form of benefits as this has now put the kybosh on me finding a job and going back to work (I was made redundant during my treatment last year)
Julie
Hi
Well I have filled in incapacity benefit form and also disability living allowance form – may as well give it a go and have ordered hc1 form
No harm in trying- I have worked since I left school many moons ago and never claimed a penny so here goes nothing
Take Care ladies
Mary
xx
Mary
Sometimes incapacity and disability benefit is hard to get even when you have a valid claim. A doctor’s letter can hold a lot of clout. Should you not be successful at the first attempt you will need an expert to fill in the form with you. The MacMillan Nurses Trust will do this, even coming to your home if you can’t visit them.[I hope you understand who I mean-not sure I have the name right]. The claim would then be backdated to your first application.
Margaret
Thanks Margaret
xx
Thanks guys, this is helpful. im hoping that my GP will fill in the gaps for me when i need it i have an appointment with them next week so fingers crossed.
i am on SSP at the moment so that maybe why they refused? but not totally sure.
thanks all all your advice has been helpful.
xx
Have you tried the MacMillan benefit helpline? This is such a huge area of confusion and unfairness and has been touched on various times in these forums.
There was definately a thread recently about DLA and so I would advise you read that. As I understand it, there are 2 basic routes of DLA. The easiest but worst scenario one is applying under ‘special rules’ when you have secondaries but the other one, you have to have had the condition for at least 3 months before applying and then be expected to have it for at least 6 months after you apply so often makes it quite difficult for women with primary diagnosis to get this.
The whole benefit system seems so wrong and seems to depend on who you can get to fill out the form rather than being dependent on the actual illness and its problems.
Pre-paid prescription certificates definately make it cheaper but unless you have certain medical conditions (or on certain benefits) then getting free prescriptions seems to be an almost impossible thing to do.
Good luck to you all but as I said, search this site as it has been brought up recently.
Kate
The Benefits Enquiry Line will also help you.
When I first had to give up work because of mets I rang them about incapacity benefit and they advised me to claim for DLA (under the Special Rules) which I did and now receive both the higher component of mobility and care.
I don’t get free prescriptions either although I know Macmillan are trying to lobby government to get this changed for those of us with cancer.
Hi everyone,
If you and/or your partner and are on a low income or getting SSP then you will be able to get your health costs back as long as you don’t have savings over £16,000.
I advise everyone to check this out and as I said in my above post you need the HC1 ‘claim for health costs’ form.
Just Google ‘HC1 form’ and lots of information will come up.
I’m just bumping this up because it appears that a lot of people don’t even know about this benefit.
Alli x
my forms are filled in ready to go and when my HC1 form comes and that is sent I will let you know how I go on.