The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has stated there are no immediate plans to alter the eligibility criteria for free NHS prescriptions, following renewed calls for an age threshold change. The DHSC and NHS have jointly confirmed that no rule change is forthcoming, despite pressure from some pensioners and advocacy groups.
Calls for Change
In a letter to the Telegraph, a retiree argued that free prescriptions for those aged 60 and above are becoming "unaffordable" for the Treasury. The writer suggested aligning the benefit with the state pension age of 66, noting that a safety net already exists for those on state benefits, and that an annual prescription prepayment certificate is available for £114.50.
Previously, Chancellor Rachel Reeves faced pressure to scrap free prescriptions for 60 to 65 year olds, a move that could raise over £6bn. In 2024, the Intergenerational Foundation charity recommended aligning free prescriptions with the state pension age to help address a £22bn deficit in the economy.
Expert Opinions
Liz Emerson, chief executive of the Intergenerational Foundation, stated that taxpayers spend too much on free medication for those still working. She said: "Aligning free prescriptions with the state pension age would improve intergenerational fairness by reducing the cost of the current 1.1 billion items distributed each year, 90pc of which are free of charge."
Dr Kristian Niemietz from the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) added: "Labour’s electoral base is heavily biased towards young and middle-aged voters. They don’t do well among the over 65-year-olds, and that’s unlikely to change, so that age group is probably an easier target for them, for fiscal savings."
Despite these arguments, the DHSC has reiterated that no changes are imminent, leaving the current age threshold of 60 unchanged for now.
