Univ Credit and Prescriptions

Universal Credit (UC) does not automatically entitle patients to help with their health costs. To qualify, patients must be included in a UC award

Patients [may] qualify for help through the NHS Low Income Scheme

Pharmacy staff must ensure:
At the point at which the patient is asked to declare their exemption on the back of the prescription form, they check that the patient has a valid UC award letter notice bearing their name (either as the recipient or because they are a partner or child of the recipient) as evidence of valid entitlement.
   
Where patients do not have evidence or where there is doubt over whether the evidence provided is appropriate, the “Evidence not Seen” box on the back of the prescription should be marked with an X by pharmacy staff. Pharmacy staff need not refuse to dispense items on the basis that the patient does not provide evidence of their entitlement to free prescriptions.

Ask patient to tick the appropriate exemption box and sign the declaration . In the absence of a UC box ask the patient to tick the “income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance” exemption, until the prescription forms are updated.

Remind the patient they should make sure they are still eligible each month i.e. in case their circumstances change or check if their earnings are still within the threshold limits during their most recent monthly assessment period.

Inform the patient that it is their responsibility to determine the accuracy of the declaration they make. NHS Protect have a responsibility to check for prescription charge exemption fraud and patients found to have wrongly claimed for free prescriptions, could face a penalty charge, the prescription charge required and in some cases prosecution.

If a patient is unsure whether they are entitled to free prescriptions, pharmacy staff should advise the patient to pay for their prescription and provide them with an  FP57 form with information on how to claim a refund at a later date.