Dear Listener

Hold the front page! Or rather destroy it. The change to the qualifying age for free prescriptions has been delayed!

My confidence that the Treasury would prevail in the battle over raising the qualifying age for prescription charges was misplaced.

In December I was assured by Treasury officials that this statement in the Pre Budget Report …

“Those aged 60 and over have free access to some services, such as concessionary travel and free prescriptions. The Government announces that the age at which pensioner benefits can be received will increase in line with the female State pension Age.”

…actually meant that that age for qualifying for free prescriptions in England would increase in line with the female state pension age.

This week I was again assured that was true. “It will happen” and the Department of Health was “on side” I was told.

But late this afternoon the Treasury changed its mind and admitted “adding to the confusion”. In a new written statement it said.

"The Treasury agreed with the Department of Health that as a result of the rise in the women's state pension age, changes should be made to the age at which eligibility arises for free prescriptions. How this change is implemented is a matter for the Department of Health."

He added that however it chose to implement the change the Department of Health would still have to make the savings originally intended. Unfortunately that figure is a secret. But I was told is that it would be less than the £60 million a year by 2012/13 which the similar changes to concessionary fares will save.

So how would the Department of Health implement this change? After more than 48 hours’ deliberation the Department finally told me.

“We are considering how to implement changes to the age at which people qualify for free prescriptions, in line with the changes to state pension age for women. We will not be introducing any changes to age exemptions in April 2010.”

So ‘in line with the changes to state pension for women’ does not mean in line with changes to state pension age for women. And with an election probably in May and definitely by 3 June a decision may well be deferred until after that.

So apologies. Those people in the NHS who said there would be no change in April were right. And if you reach 60 in that month at least free prescriptions will start on your birthday.

Best wishes,

Paul

e-mail Paul Lewis