PRESCRIPTION costs in England are rising next week, so it’s worth checking if you can cut your costs.
Prescription charges usually rise every April in England, and the Department of Health and Social Care sets the exact amount they rise by.
However, they’ll be rising slightly later than usual next week on Wednesday, May 1.
Charges for prescriptions will increase by 2.59%.
This means a single prescription will cost £9.90, up from its current price of £9.65.
Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) will also be affected by the price hike.
A three-month PPC will cost Brits £32.05 from next Wednesday onwards, up from £31.25.
The cost of a 12-month PPC will rise by £2.90 to £114.50, while a hormone replacement therapy PPC will cost £19.80 instead of £19.30.
The government also increased prescription charges in April 2023, having frozen them at £9.35 per item the year before to help Brits cope with the cost of living crisis.
Other items affected by the May price hike include NHS surgical bras, as well as acrylic and human hair wigs.
Many people are exempt from prescription charges namely over 60s, under 16s and those with certain health condition.
England is the only country in the UK that still charges for prescription meds.
Meanwhile, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland scrapped the charges more than a decade ago.
If you live in England, you can get free prescriptions if you’re in one of the following groups:
You can also get free prescriptions if you or your partner are claiming certain benefits, or if you’re aged under 20 and dependent on someone claiming certain benefits, including:
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
You won’t always be eligible for free prescriptions if you are on Universal Credit, as it depends on your income.
You can also get free prescriptions if you are entitled to an NHS tax credit exemption certificate.
You qualify for one of these if you receive child tax credits or working tax credits (including a disability or severe disability element).
Those ineligible for free prescriptions can still make savings by purchasing a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC).
It’s essentially a season ticket which you pay for once, and you can use it to cover any prescriptions you need for one year.
You can also get them to cover three months.
Right now, a one-year PPC costs £111.60, while a three-month PPC costs £31.25.
From Wednesday, a one-year PPC will cost £114.50, while a three-month PPC will cost £32.05.
You can buy them from the NHS Business Services Authority by visiting www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-prescription-prepayment-certificate-ppc or via a registered pharmacy.
The point at which you start saving money with the three-month PPC is after buying four or more prescriptions.
With the one-year PPC, you start making savings after 12 or more purchases.
So, if you need a lot of prescriptions every year, a PPC can definitely be worth your time.
