[foreverAdreamer]

Hi

I was just wondering if I will be able to get any help with the cost of prescriptions when I start uni in September. I'm asthmatic and have two inhalers which I get monthly. I also get throat and chest infections regularly.

I don't mind paying, and I know it's doesn't seem like much - about £21 a month but my issue is that I'll only have £20 a week to live off of whilst at uni so taking £5 out of that each week to pay for prescriptions is a lot. My loan doesn't even cover my accommodation so the £20 a week is from my parents and it feels unfair to ask for their help, given that they have to support my twin sister too. I plan to get a job, but have been told be people on the course to only do minimal hours as the course and a job don't mix well. At the moment I'm saving up to buy all of the stuff I need for uni.

Any advice? I don't plan to go out drinking often and I don't eat much but still don't know if I can afford the prescriptions, yet without them I'd struggle to get from the accommodation I've applied for to uni!

I don't know if it helps or not but my household income is about £50000 so I don't really qualify for any financial help!

Thanks for any help

[Fuzzpig]

Yes, as a student you can get the HC1 (I think?) form from any NHS hospital or you can send off for one.

It's best to apply when you're actually at university, living in halls. My brother had to reapply the next month when he was actually in halls as he was declined for that very reason.

Me? Well... they never sent my form back, and I have to say I've forgotten about it until right now!

[*Joanna*]

If you don't qualify for the HC1 there is other help available too, or a pre-payment certificate can be useful if you get through a lot of prescriptions.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytax...ed/dg_10018978

[intermediary]

Yes, HC1 form. You can get them from the GP, hospital and most unis.
You fill it out like a student finance form and send it back. You'll only be approved if you apply for it in a house or halls in which you're living apart from your family as their income is too high for support with prescriptions.
You'll receive an HC2 form of entitlement within 3 weeks which will allow you to get prescriptions for free as long as your income is under 16k (I think its 16k).

[superwolf]

As aliluvschoc says you can fill in an HC1 form which if you're entitled will get you an HC2 certificate giving you free prescriptions. But it does take ages to get sorted, and sometimes they deny you it for quite unfair reasons (I in no way hold a grudge against them ). You can order a form here, but sometimes they take so long sending you it you're far better off going into a job centre or pharmacy and getting one.

If you're not entitled to free prescriptions and you need more than two a month then I'd get a prepayment certificate which works out cheaper in the long run.

[OU Student]

(Original post by intermediary)
You'll only be approved if you apply for it in a house or halls in which you're living apart from your family as their income is too high for support with prescriptions.
You'll receive an HC2 form of entitlement within 3 weeks which will allow you to get prescriptions for free as long as your income is under 16k (I think its 16k).

This is incorrect. It's nothing to do with your parents income. It's based on your income (including student loans and grants) and that of your partner, if you have one.

The income thing is incorrect - it depends on things like age, disability, etc. They disregard a certain amount of income for books and the amount you pay for rent is taken into account.

[Rybee]

(Original post by *Joanna*)
If you don't qualify for the HC1 there is other help available too, or a pre-payment certificate can be useful if you get through a lot of prescriptions.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytax...ed/dg_10018978

This ^^^

I've been meaning to buy one for so long but the cost of £110 put me off, yet my prescription charges come to £30 per month! For me, it'll pay itself off very quickly.

[intermediary]

(Original post by OU Student)
This is incorrect. It's nothing to do with your parents income. It's based on your income (including student loans and grants) and that of your partner, if you have one.

The income thing is incorrect - it depends on things like age, disability, etc. They disregard a certain amount of income for books and the amount you pay for rent is taken into account.

They asked in the form what money I was given by my parents and asked about the incomes of people who live with me (assuming if you live in the family home, this will include family).

Taking income into account isn't incorrect, here's a list of people who can get free prescriptions:
People who get...
Income Support
income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit Guaranteed Credit
Child Tax Credit, or Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
People who are...
you are named on a valid NHS Exemption Certificate
you're 60 or over (for NHS prescriptions and NHS sight tests)
you're under 16, under 18 for NHS dental treatment
you're under 19 and still in full-time education
you suffer from a listed medical condition (for free NHS prescriptions only), for more information contact the Health Cost advice line on 0845 850 1166
you have a maternity exemption certificate (for NHS dental treatment and NHS prescription charges)
you get a war or service disablement pension or need prescriptions or NHS treatment for your accepted disability
you're a prisoner in England

A lot of that ^^^ is income based, as you can see. Income is most definitely a part.

[foreverAdreamer]

Thanks for all the replies repped you all
I'll be living in halls so I'll wait till I get there before I get that form. I'm not 19 till October so I plan to take out as many inhalers as possible before I have to pay just hope I don't get any infections!
Hopefully the form people will be nice to me the government have been taxing a savings account in my name since I was 12 and refuse to give any money back so I deserve some money back somewhere!

Thanks
Wish the government would give asthmatics free prescriptions like the do with diabetes! I mean, I could have a fatal asthma attack without my inhalers!

[OU Student]

(Original post by intermediary)
They asked in the form what money I was given by my parents and asked about the incomes of people who live with me (assuming if you live in the family home, this will include family).

Taking income into account isn't incorrect, here's a list of people who can get free prescriptions:
People who get...
Income Support
income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit Guaranteed Credit
Child Tax Credit, or Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
People who are...
you are named on a valid NHS Exemption Certificate
you're 60 or over (for NHS prescriptions and NHS sight tests)
you're under 16, under 18 for NHS dental treatment
you're under 19 and still in full-time education
you suffer from a listed medical condition (for free NHS prescriptions only), for more information contact the Health Cost advice line on 0845 850 1166
you have a maternity exemption certificate (for NHS dental treatment and NHS prescription charges)
you get a war or service disablement pension or need prescriptions or NHS treatment for your accepted disability
you're a prisoner in England

A lot of that ^^^ is income based, as you can see. Income is most definitely a part.

Yes, your income. Not that of your parents.

[friendlyonejim]

(Original post by foreverAdreamer)
Hi

I was just wondering if I will be able to get any help with the cost of prescriptions when I start uni in September. I'm asthmatic and have two inhalers which I get monthly. I also get throat and chest infections regularly.

I don't mind paying, and I know it's doesn't seem like much - about £21 a month but my issue is that I'll only have £20 a week to live off of whilst at uni so taking £5 out of that each week to pay for prescriptions is a lot. My loan doesn't even cover my accommodation so the £20 a week is from my parents and it feels unfair to ask for their help, given that they have to support my twin sister too. I plan to get a job, but have been told be people on the course to only do minimal hours as the course and a job don't mix well. At the moment I'm saving up to buy all of the stuff I need for uni.

Any advice? I don't plan to go out drinking often and I don't eat much but still don't know if I can afford the prescriptions, yet without them I'd struggle to get from the accommodation I've applied for to uni!

I don't know if it helps or not but my household income is about £50000 so I don't really qualify for any financial help!

Thanks for any help

What you could do is speak to your local pharmacist, theyll probably have all the info there and be able to help you save a few quid - at the very least youll qualify for one of those "all prescriptions for 10 quid a month" things. Asthamas a tricky one. Now if you had diabetes you'd get it all for free.

[johndoranglasgow]

Yup... it's called Scotland :P

[hanaxo]

I'm sure anyone in education can claim
the cost back?My income is more than that & my pharmacist or doctor ( can't remember which!) gave me a form to fill in & get it back so I don't think income is relevant

[superwolf]

(Original post by hanaxo)
I'm sure anyone in education can claim
the cost back?My income is more than that & my pharmacist or doctor ( can't remember which!) gave me a form to fill in & get it back so I don't think income is relevant

Nope. Not in England at any rate. Like others have posted, there are various reasons for being awarded free prescriptions, but unless if you're under 19 just being in education isn't one of them. Either you wrongly got your money back (), or you fell into one of the relevant categories.

[cl_steele]

sorry just going to butt in here but are you not entitled to free prescriptions when you leave school/college and start university then?

[superwolf]

(Original post by cl_steele)
sorry just going to butt in here but are you not entitled to free prescriptions when you leave school/college and start university then?

Not automatically, no - you've got to apply for an HC2 certificate and see if you're allowed one. Bit of a bummer really.

[Joinedup]

(Original post by cl_steele)
sorry just going to butt in here but are you not entitled to free prescriptions when you leave school/college and start university then?

it's not automatic, you have to fill in the hc1 form, which is a means test based on having a low income... Unless you're in scotland or wales . If you've got any expensive course of dental work coming up... don't put it off till you start uni.

[Oh my Ms. Coffey]

I got a HC2 I think because I have so little to live off after accommodation costs. They refunded all dental treatment I had done since I started university. (I moved from cheaper to more expensive halls which were over the threshold.)

[cl_steele]

(Original post by Joinedup)
it's not automatic, you have to fill in the hc1 form, which is a means test based on having a low income... Unless you're in scotland or wales . If you've got any expensive course of dental work coming up... don't put it off till you start uni.

sigh think its time to get my root canal done then, was trying to put that off for as long as possible

[hanaxo]

(Original post by superwolf)
Nope. Not in England at any rate. Like others have posted, there are various reasons for being awarded free prescriptions, but unless if you're under 19 just being in education isn't one of them. Either you wrongly got your money back (), or you fell into one of the relevant categories.

I never bothered to actually fill in the form! And oh,I thought it was free prescriptions for anyone in education
I'll think twice before I'm ill again now..