At present, anyone on Universal Credit with work-related earnings under £435 in their last assessment period, or £935 if they get payments for children or disability, can have free prescriptions, dental care, and eye tests
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has tweaked how free NHS prescriptions work across the country, reflecting changes in benefits over recent years.
At present, anyone on Universal Credit with work-related earnings under £435 in their last assessment period, or £935 if they get payments for children or disability, can have free prescriptions, dental care, and eye tests. If not, you will need to pay the £9.65 per item prescription fee if you live in England.
This won’t change, but how benefit recipients show they’re eligible for free medication due to low income will. Right now, there’s a box on the back of the prescription asking which benefit you’re getting.
On some forms, this box only asks if you’re getting income-related Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), which can be puzzling for those on new-style Universal Credit. Under the current system, those who are eligible for free NHS prescriptions with their Universal Credit claim have to tick this box even if they are not claiming JSA.
In a recent update, the DWP said this Jobseekers Allowance box will be replaced with a box simply asking if the claimant is getting Universal Credit. The move aims to clear up any confusion at the pharmacy and make it clearer for patients that they can get a free prescription.
If you think you have incorrectly paid for a prescription and are receiving Universal Credit, you can get a refund so long as you keep your receipt. You must fill out a FP57 refund form, which you can only get from the pharmacy that dispensed your prescription. The rules for free prescriptions are different in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In these countries, prescriptions are free for everyone no matter their age.
You can find out if you are eligible for free NHS prescriptions or help with other NHS costs through the NHS eligibility checker – this can be found on the NHS website here.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
