With prescriptions costing £9.45 each, a pre-payment certificate can help you save money
MoneySavingExpert.com has recently obtained data via Freedom of Information requests from the NHS Business Services Authority, which shows 1,064,992 people paid for at least 12 individual prescriptions in 2021-22 instead of paying for a pre-payment certificate (PPC).
Because this group paid on average for 16 prescriptions each, costing £9.35 (£149.60 in total), they paid out around £40 more than if they had paid for a 12 month PPC at a cost of £108.80 for an unlimited amount of prescriptions.
Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: "England is the only one of the four UK nations that charges for prescriptions, and so it's frustrating to hear that many people are still paying more than they need to – especially at a time when every penny counts towards bills.
"We need to spread the word to anyone who regularly gets prescriptions – including some with chronic illnesses – to check out prescription prepayment certificates." He urged people to get a PPC before any prescription increases, which usually go up each April.
Anyone can buy a three month or 12 month PPC and the cost of the latter can be spread over 10 months via direct debit. Please the NHSBA page on PPCs, for more information.