Help with Prescription Costs

posted: 01/12/2008

Who has the right to help with prescription costs?

Greater Manchester HIV clinics will now only prescribe HIV treatment drugs and drugs for managing any side effects. This leaves medicines for anything else (depression, sexual dysfunction, contraception etc.) to GPs to prescribe, and that means some people have to pay for those GP prescriptions.

Many people are entitled to free prescrriptions; some can get free prescriptions because of low income, and there is a discount scheme to cut your costs. 

Other help with healthcare costs is available, including for travel expenses to and from hospital.

Citizens Advice Bureau has clear infomation here on all the help that is available for healthcare costs.

For prescriptions, some people can get them free, some people can get a full exemption on grounds of low income, and some people can get a discount by buying a prepayment certificate.

Free Prescriptions

You are entitled to get prescriptions free of charge if you:

• are over 60
• are on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the guarantee credit part of Pension Credit. Your partner and children will also be entitled to free prescriptions. (If you are getting Working Tax Credit and/or Child Tax Credit, you may be entitled to free prescriptions, depending on your income - see below - Help with health costs if you are on a low income)
• have a listed medical condition (HIV is NOT listed, see page 30 here for full list) and have a valid medical exemption certificate. You have to ask your GP if you think this might apply to you - ask for Form FP92A
• have a continuing physical disability which means you cannot go out without help from another person and have a valid medical exemption certificate - ask the doctor, hospital or pharmacist for Form FP92A
• are under 16 in England or Scotland. You must show age proof to the pharmacist
• get a war or service disablement pension, need prescriptions for your war / service disability and hold an exemption certificate - ask the doctor, hospital or pharmacist for Form FP92A
• are a prisoner
• are pregnant, or have had a baby in the last twelve months and have a valid exemption certificate. This includes if you have had a miscarriage after the 24th week of pregnancy, or your baby was stillborn. Ask the doctor, midwife or health visitor for Form FW8.
• you live in Wales

To claim, just tick the box on the back of the prescription form.

They do random checks afterwards to check that people who ticked the box were eligible. There is a penalty charge and possible prosecution for people caught claiming when not eligible.

In England, for full details of people who can get help with prescription charges, see the Department of Health leaflet HC11 Help with health costs.

If none of the categories mentioned in this list applies to you, you may still be able to get free prescription on the grounds of low income – see next section: Prescriptions for low income

Prescriptions for low income

If you have difficulty in meeting your health costs and do not qualify for any other kind of help, you may be able to get help under the NHS low income scheme.

The amount of help you get will depend on the amount of income you have. You might not be entitled to any help at all if you have too much in savings / capital. There are two types of certificate: a full help certificate (HC2), and a limited help certificate (HC3), which tells you how much you have to pay.

Full help certificate

If you are entitled to a full help certificate, you will get:-

• free NHS prescriptions
• free NHS dental treatment, including check-ups
• free NHS sight tests (including sight tests at home) and full value vouchers for glasses or contact lenses
• full repayment of necessary travel costs for hospital treatment
• full repayment of travel costs if travelling abroad for treatment
• free NHS wigs and fabric supports
• travel costs if travelling abroad for treatment.

Limited health certificate

If you are entitled to a limited help certificate, you will get no help with prescription charges (but see Prepayment Certificates for prescriptions below) but may be able to get some help with the costs of:-

• dental treatment and check ups
• private sight tests
• vouchers for glasses or contact lenses
• wigs and fabric supports
• necessary travel costs to and from hospital for NHS treatment
• travel costs if travelling abroad for treatment.

How to apply for help on the low income scheme

To apply for either a full help certificate (HC2) or a limited help certificate (HC3), complete form HC1, which is available from local benefit offices, NHS hospitals, dentists, opticians and pharmacists. Form HC1 can also be filled in online.

Do not wait until you need a prescription or treatment before you apply for a certificate. Getting a refund after you have paid is better avoided. You would need to ask the pharmacist for a special receipt when you get your prescription, which you then have to use to reclaim the money. If you don't get the special receipt when you hand in the prescription, you can't claim a refund.

Remember, if you don't qualify now because your income is too high, if your income drops you can always make a fresh claim.

Send the completed form HC1 to

NHS Business Services Authority
PO Box 370
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE99 2ZA
0845 850 1166
website

Prepayment Certificates for prescriptions

If you need frequent prescriptions but do not qualify to get them free of charge, you can buy a prepayment certificate which could save you money.

Prepayment certificates save you money if you have to pay for more than three prescription items in a three-month period, or more than 14 items in a twelve month period. Remember each drug prescribed counts as a seperate item, so two drugs on one prescription counts as two items.

In England prepayment certificates last for either three or twelve months. You can pay for the twelve month certificate by direct debit, in ten equal monthly instalments.

Before buying a prepayment certificate, make sure you are not entitled to free prescriptions, as it can be difficult to get a refund once you have paid for your certificate.

You can buy a prepayment certificate:

• over the phone from the NHS Business Services Authority 0845 850 0030
• online from the NHS PPA website
• from the pharmacist
• from your Primary Care Trust

You are sent a plastic card (like bank card) that you show to the pharmacist each time you hand in your prescriptions and tick the box on the back of the prescription to say you have a Prepayment Certificate.

Health Care Help

Help with health care costs can be for:

• prescription charges
• NHS dental charges, including check-ups
• sight tests
• vouchers towards the cost of glasses and contact lenses
• travel costs to and from hospital for NHS treatment
• travel costs if travelling abroad for treatment
• wigs and fabric supports, for example, abdominal and spinal supports, and support tights.

Details of all the NHS health care help available.

Manchester Pride Raises £95,000 for Charity

posted: 10/10/2007

George House Trust Welfare Fund to receive £23,750

Manchester Pride, the city’s annual festival celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life, raised £95,000 for charity during this year’s 10-day event at the end of August.

Performances by Gossip, Belinda Carlisle, Kate Lawler and Gareth Gates, along with many others, drew more people to the event than ever before, with more than 40,000 tickets sold for the Big Weekend.

It is also estimated that over 200,000 turned out to watch the Manchester Pride Parade work its way through the city centre.

Andrew Stokes, chairman of Manchester Pride, said: “This was the first year that Manchester Pride operated as a charity in its own right.

“Naturally, I am delighted we have continued the tradition set by previous Manchester Pride events and raised funds for LGBT and HIV charities and groups in Greater Manchester”

“We have already lost far too many organisations for want of a few pounds and that is why Manchester Pride is committed to keep fundraising at the heart of everything we do.

“And I have to say, we’re only able to achieve what we do because of a great team of volunteers from Manchester Pride, George House Trust and the Lesbian & Gay Foundation. Their hard work and enthusiasm for Manchester Pride is a priceless asset, without which, we could not survive.”

Manchester Pride supports LGBT and HIV groups and projects
The George House Trust Welfare Fund is to receive £23,750, among other payments to be made from the £95,000 raised.

LGBT and HIV projects can apply for funding to Manchester Pride. For information on how to apply for funding, call 0161 235 8011 or email sam@lgf.org.uk

In 2008, Manchester Pride celebrates its 18th birthday. Keep an eye on www.manchesterpride.com for more information of what is sure to be the city’s biggest ever coming-of-age party.

Manchester Pride - Registered Charity Number: 1117848

Caution urged over HIV cure claim

posted: 14/11/2005

George House Trust urges caution over Chelsea and Westiminster HIV cure claim

Obviously this is great news for the man involved but we have to be extremely cautious at this stage.

The fact is that there is still no known cure for HIV and there is still no vaccine. Whatever arises from this very unusual case, people need to realise that HIV is still here, it affects us all, and it’s a growing problem in the North West, and across the world. There is no room whatsoever for complacency.

We all hope that one day someone will find a cure for this disease, but that day may well be a long way off. In the meantime we urge people to think carefully about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and to ensure that we treat HIV positive people with respect, rather than making their lives even more difficult through discriminatory attitudes.

There are 40 million people living with HIV in the world today. 8000 people every day are dying because of HIV. If this case helps us towards discovering some defence against this epidemic then that would be great, but we’ve had so many false alarms over the years that its really important that we treat this with great caution.

583 ways your money helped people

posted: 06/10/2005

Welfare Fund eases HIV poverty and hardship

Over the last year, 583 people directly benefited from money raised by Operation Fundraiser at Manchester Pride 2004, through the Welfare Fund at George House Trust the biggest HIV charity in the North West.

A recent report commissioned by The George House Trust states: "Poverty is a second major issue after mental health that people inquire to the Trust about. More than half don’t have enough money, and 4 in 10 struggle with managing money and paying bills. Poor living and housing conditions are reported by about one third, and a similar proportion find paying for public transport a problem. There is a close association between poverty and poor mental health for most people." The report revealed some other alarming statistics about the state of life for HIV patients in the region:

• 57% of those coming to the Trust had previously had grants (and the grant service was GHT’s fourth most used service)
• 36% of those surveyed expected to need grants in future (making it the third most needed service in the future)
• 54% said they did not have enough money to live on (fourth in list of all problems bothering people)

Statistics such as those shown in the GHT’s report demonstrate why the work of organisations such as Operation Fundraiser, and The Welfare Fund, are urgently needed. Operation Fundraiser is the community fundraising initiative for George House Trust and the Lesbian and Gay Foundation. It raises money at regular community events during the year for HIV and for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender charities in Greater Manchester and the North West.

Operation Fundraiser is also a key partner in Manchester Pride, where it succeeded in raising more than £131,926 during the 2004 festival. Half of the money raised by Operation Fundraiser at Manchester Pride will go directly to Community Futures, which aims to develop and support LGBT and HIV charities and groups in Greater Manchester.

Of all the money raised by Operation Fundraiser at Manchester Pride, half is allocated for HIV projects and half to LGBT projects. The funds are channelled into four particular areas of activity:

• 25% goes to the George House Trust Welfare Fund. Every single penny of this money is paid to people living with HIV for the very basics of life such as food, emergency bedding and heating

• 25% goes to the Lesbian and Gay Foundation to fund the free gay and bisexual men’s safer sex packs distributed throughout Greater Manchester

• 25% goes towards the Community Futures pot for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender charities

• 25% goes towards the Community Futures pot for HIV initiatives, one of which was to fund the newly diagnosed course soon to be launched by George House Trust

Michelle Reid, Chief Executive of George House Trust comments: “Over the past year the GHT Welfare Fund has helped 583 people in financial difficulties. Although we're living in one of the richest countries in the world, many people are still living in dire financial circumstances, and some of our service users have no income.

“All the money given out by GHT in grants comes from individual donations and fundraising through Operation Fundraiser - since 1985 we have paid out over £1 million pounds in hardship grants to people with HIV in the region.

“In 2004-2005 over £103,000 has been paid out from the Welfare Fund, which has never been under more stress than it is now. It is a shocking fact that in 2005 we are paying grants which are literally putting food on tables.”

Since Operation Fundraiser was launched as a year round fundraising initiative on April 2003, Community Futures has also given out £279,811 to LGBT and HIV charities and groups across Greater Manchester.

Once again in 2005/06, 50% of the money raised by Operation Fundraiser will go to Community Futures, which has supported more than 64 LGBT and HIV charities and projects in the last two years.

Paul Martin,Chief Executive of The Lesbian and Gay Foundation adds: “We have much to be proud of in Manchester. Together we have created a successful international festival to be proud of which has raised a record amount for HIV and LGBT charities and organizations in Greater Manchester. I thank each and everyone of you who took part, the people working behind the scenes, staff and volunteers of every organisation whose commitment and enthusiasm never tires and staff in all the venues who work so hard while we party. Thank you for your support, thankyou for your generosity but most of all thankyou for making a difference.”

In 2005, Operation Fundraiser is determined to raise more money at Manchester Pride than ever before. For more information about making a donation, fundraising or volunteering, please visit http://www.operationfundraiser.com/fundraising.php

Indeed, one of the best ways to help Operation Fundraiser do that is to participate in this year’s Pride Celebrations! From just turning up, to walking in the parade, to building a float, to helping out as part of Pride’s volunteer staff team, or just popping your change into an Operation Fundraiser bucket, there’s loads of things you can do to contribute to the festival. So come and join us, and help make a big difference to the lives of many of our community members in the region.

For more information on Pride 2005, or to participate in what promises to be one of the year’s biggest and brightest celebrations of LGBT culture, visit www.manchesterpride.com.

Ends

For further information: Paul Patton/Fiona Guy @ Impact Media PR T: 0161 236 0008

Editor’s notes:
1. Manchester Pride 2005 works in partnership with Marketing Manchester,
Manchester City Council, George House Trust, the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, Operation Fundraiser and the Village Business Association.
2. Manchester Pride runs from Friday 19th to Monday 29th August 2005.
4. It is a 10 day festival of sport, arts & entertainment, film, conferences & debating, heritage and parade.
5. Manchester has hosted an annual Pride event since 1991 and it originated from Gay Pride events in New York in the 1960’s
6. For further information, visit www.manchesterpride.com

Media contact: Paul Patton/Fiona Guy @ Impact Media PR T: 0161 236 0008
Issued on behalf of Manchester Pride 2005 by Impact Media PR

HIV Charity Wins Lottery Award for African Families

posted: 06/10/2005

New Family Centre funded for three years

“It is so hard, so very, very hard…I worry all the time for my children back home, I really want to go, but I know if I did I would not live long. Staying here is the only way I can still be of help to my children.”
HIV positive African woman

One of the UK’s largest and oldest HIV charities has won a £300,000 lottery award to fund its work for the next 3 years with African communities affected by HIV. The award will enable the George House Trust, the North West’s leading HIV charity, to provide essential facilities for the 400 African men, women and children that it currently supports.

The grant will provide a dedicated advisor and a crèche co-ordinator at GHT’s new family centre in Ardwick Green North, Manchester. Users of the charity will also have access to support on taking HIV treatments, immigration and welfare support, and financial and employment advice. The new crèche facilities will provide families with a setting where children can play while parents are receiving support and advice from the charity.

The grant comes at an important time for those from Africa facing the prospect of living with HIV and who are unable to return home due to highly inadequate healthcare, which will result in the rapid deterioration of their health.

In contrast to many tabloid reports, which assume that HIV/AIDS positive asylum seekers come to the UK in search of free NHS treatment, GHT support staff explain that most have actually come to the UK as professionals and students, and are diagnosed after entry into the country.

Campaigners have also argued that proposals for compulsory AIDS tests before entry to the UK are inherently racist, as new laws would mostly target Africans from countries with the highest rates of the disease.

Michelle Reid, CEO of the George House Trust said, “HIV is part of African communities. An HIV positive African person has enough to cope with, without facing stigma and discrimination from within their own communities.

“Respect for and support of those HIV positive people is of paramount importance. Focusing on prevention agendas can alienate positive people within communities. The experience of being an African positive person needs to be owned and acknowledged more in order for the external discrimination outside of communities (some of it racist in origin) to be tackled.”

“At a time when we know how to prevent infections, and we know how to treat the disease, we’re still allowing 8000 people to die every day. We’re still allowing people to be hounded out of their neighbourhoods. We’re still allowing people to lose their jobs because of HIV. We’re still arguing about who should be allowed access to treatment. This situation has got to stop. We have to make it stop.”

The George House Trust is commemorating 20 years of the charity and declares that "20:05 is Time for Action on HIV". For more information on the George House Trust please visit www.ght.org.uk

CASE STUDY: HOPE
Hope is a 28 year old woman from Zambia. She came to England to work for the NHS, leaving her children with relatives back at home. She was diagnosed in the UK after falling ill and is sure her contract will not be renewed after three years. She faces the decision of whether to apply to remain in the UK for continued access to life saving treatments, leaving her family behind, or returning to Zambia to look after her children…but for how long, when the drugs are not available to her there?


HIV: Did You Know?
We need to tackle lots of commonly held myths about HIV, generally many of us do not know a lot about HIV. One of the ways forward is for there to be more knowledge about HIV. Did you know:

- Only 0.1% of babies born to HIV positive mums here in the UK are likely to be positive

- You can live well as an HIV positive person for around 12 years before needing treatments

- Specialist HIV doctors expect a person that becomes positive in the UK today to live for up to 30 years with access to life saving medication and health care.