The Government has announced the upper age NHS prescription exemption will be frozen at 60 in England, sparking huge relief for vulnerable older people.
This comes after consultations into a proposal to align the NHS prescription exemption in line with state pension age, which is currently 66 and set to rise further.
This would have meant many older Britons could be waiting for up to six years longer for free prescriptions than previous years.
The Government said the decision to keep the current NHS prescription exemption at 60 years old was due to cost of living pressures squeezing many older people’s finances.
Minister for Health Neil O’Brien said: “This government recognises the pressures with the cost of living caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“That’s why we are providing cost of living help worth £3,300 on average per household over last year and this, among the most generous help anywhere in Europe.
“It’s also why we have decided to maintain the prescription exemption age where it is. Nine out of ten prescriptions are already free at the point of use and on top of that we also provide financial help to others on low incomes who don’t automatically get prescriptions for free.”
The consultation launched by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2021 looked at whether free prescription age should be aligned with the state pension age, however after much deliberation, the Government decided against it.
Prescriptions in England cost £9.65 each. For those who need to pay for repeat prescriptions each month, who don’t pay for a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC), this could become a costly burden, and put further pressure on older Britons.
Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown said: “Today’s response will be greeted with huge relief by older people at risk of having to pay for their NHS prescriptions.
“These charges can really add up and if you need multiple items then it can put real pressure on budgets at a time when they are already squeezed. This leads to the risk that people don’t get the medications they sorely need, and this puts their health at risk.
“The initial consultation mentioned the reasoning behind potentially aligning the upper age exemption with state pension age was because it was initially set at age 60 which was women’s pension age at that time. We have also seen more older people remaining in the workforce for longer.
“However, since the consultation was announced back in 2021 the landscape has changed massively, and we are going through a cost-of-living crisis that has laid waste to our finances.
“We have also seen more people leaving the workplace early due to long-term sickness meaning many would simply be unable to pay for prescriptions at a time when they are needed. It is hugely positive that the government has listened to people’s concerns and opted against the change.”
More to follow…
