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liverpoolecho.co.uk 05 April 2026 at 08:52

Full list of who is eligible for free NHS prescriptions

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83
Trust Score

Mostly Trustworthy

Confidence: High

Standard
Emotional Tone Moderate
How emotionally charged the language is (low is neutral)
Reading Level Academic
Suitable for age 25+ readers (grade 20)
Article Length Long
1,125 words
Caps & Emphasis Moderate
2.4% of words are capitalised (high can indicate sensationalism)

Executive Summary

The article’s central practical claims (who can get free NHS prescriptions in England and that incorrect claims can lead to penalties) broadly align with current NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) guidance. The key pricing claim—England’s prescription charge being £9.90 and frozen for a “second consecutive year” into the next year—is supported by UK Government and sector reporting, including evidence the £9.90 charge was frozen for 2025/26 and then again for 2026/27. Some details are presented loosely (e.g., “wide array” of medical exemptions, and “HC2/HC3 provide full/partial help with healthcare expenses” without clarifying that HC3 does not entitle free prescriptions). Overall, it is largely accurate but somewhat simplified, with minor omissions/nuance risks.

Factual Verification

Verified Claims

  • NHS prescription charges in England are £9.90 per item (single charge) and were frozen for 2025/26 (i.e., kept at £9.90 rather than increased).
  • NHS prescription charges in England were frozen again for 2026/27 (i.e., a second consecutive year at £9.90).
  • People under 16 can get free NHS prescriptions in England.
  • People aged 16–18 in qualifying/full-time education can get free NHS prescriptions in England.
  • People aged 60 or over can get free NHS prescriptions in England.
  • Some people can get free NHS prescriptions if they receive certain means-tested benefits (including Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, and Pension Credit Guarantee Credit).
  • Universal Credit does not automatically entitle a claimant to free prescriptions; eligibility depends on meeting additional criteria (including a take-home pay threshold) and is claimed via the relevant prescription declaration (e.g., tick box ‘U’).
  • For medical-condition-based entitlement, having a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx) is required; the condition alone is not sufficient.
  • Pregnant people and those who have had a baby within the last 12 months can qualify for free prescriptions if they hold a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx).
  • People with a valid War Pension exemption certificate can qualify for free prescriptions where the prescription is for their accepted disability.
  • Incorrectly claiming free prescriptions can lead to penalty charges, and NHSBSA provides eligibility checking tools/guidance to help people ‘check before you tick’.
  • HC2 and HC3 certificates exist under the NHS Low Income Scheme and provide help with health costs (HC2 = full help; HC3 = partial help).

Unverified Claims

  • The article’s statement that charges have “remained at £9.90 for the second consecutive year until April next year” (the exact end date phrasing is ambiguous; evidence supports freezes for 2025/26 and 2026/27, but ‘until April next year’ depends on the article’s publication date and the precise implementation date of charges each year).
  • The claim that the “most recent increase” took charges from £9.65 to £9.90 in April 2024 (likely true, but not confirmed in this research session with a primary or sufficiently reputable dated secondary source).
  • The claim that prepayment certificates are “financially worthwhile only for those requiring two or more prescribed items on a monthly basis” (this is a rule-of-thumb that depends on current PPC pricing and usage frequency; not verified here against current NHSBSA PPC prices/calculations).
  • The claim that people ‘seldom need to present proof of age’ because date of birth is recorded electronically on prescriptions (NHSBSA notes that if DOB is printed electronically you do not need proof; the frequency implied by ‘seldom’ is not verifiable).

Bias & Presentation

Detected Biases:

  • Service-journalism framing (emphasis on consumer guidance and cost-saving).
  • Mild fear-appeal framing (penalty fees warning) but aligned with NHSBSA messaging.

Language Patterns

Emotional manipulation: 0.18

Quality Assurance

Limitations: ['The provided text is an excerpted page capture; some context (e.g., outbound links, exact wording around dates, and any later corrections) could not be validated without opening the specific Liverpool Echo page URL.', 'Some claims (e.g., the April 2024 increase from £9.65 to £9.90) were not verified here due to prioritising higher-impact claims first and focusing on NHSBSA/GOV.UK/Hansard sources.']

Confidence

Level: High

High confidence in the adjudication of the main eligibility and pricing-freeze claims because they are supported by multiple high-authority, up-to-date primary sources (NHSBSA, GOV.UK, Hansard) and corroborated by reputable secondary sources (Pharmaceutical Journal, Community Pharmacy England). Confidence is lower (therefore marked Unverified) for specific timing phrasing (‘until April next year’), the exact prior price-change detail (£9.65→£9.90 in April 2024) and the PPC ‘two items monthly’ rule-of-thumb, as these were not confirmed with sufficiently direct and dated authoritative sources in this session.

Search Journal

Query: Liverpool Echo "Full list of who is eligible for free NHS prescriptions" 02 Apr 2026 £9.90 second consecutive year

Used to anchor eligibility categories from NHSBSA.

Query: NHS prescription charge frozen £9.90 2025 2026 England April next year

Confirmed the 2025/26 freeze at £9.90 from primary government and sector sources.

Query: NHS prescription charge England 2026 2027 frozen £9.90 financial year 2026/27 DHSC announcement

Corroborated the second consecutive freeze for 2026/27 and identified parliamentary record.

Query: NHSBSA medical exemption certificate qualifying conditions diabetes epilepsy hypothyroidism cancer treatment

Confirmed certificate (not condition alone) is required, and that only specified conditions qualify.

Query: Universal Credit free NHS prescriptions take-home pay limit tick box U prescription

Verified that UC entitlement is conditional and claimed via the ‘U’ declaration.

Article Content

# Full list of who is eligible for free NHS prescriptions - Liverpool Echo

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# Full list of who is eligible for free NHS prescriptions

## NHS prescription charges in England have been frozen at £9.90 per item

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**Samantha Leathers** Senior Money & Lifestyle writer and **Kate Lally**

09:55, 02 Apr 2026

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People may not realise they can get their medication for free(Image: georgeclerk via Getty Images)

NHS prescription charges for patients in England have remained at £9.90 for the second consecutive year until April next year. In the past, prescription costs were typically raised at the start of each financial year, with the most recent increase taking them from £9.65 to £9.90 in April 2024.

Article continues below

Certain people may also qualify for reduced-cost or completely free prescriptions, though they must meet certain criteria, and may need to supply evidence. A wide array of exemptions could make people eligible for free prescriptions, including factors such as age, specific medical conditions or treatments, and household earnings.

‌

Incorrectly claiming free prescriptions may result in penalty fees. Further details are accessible on the NHSBSA website, including an online assessment tool that can determine whether you might qualify for free prescriptions.

‌

### Age

Those who are younger than 16 or aged between 16 and 18 while in full-time education typically qualify for free prescriptions. Likewise, individuals aged 60 and above are entitled to free [NHS]( prescriptions, reports [the Mirror](

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Your date of birth is generally recorded electronically on the prescription, meaning people seldom need to present proof of age when collecting their free prescriptions.

### Benefits

Individuals receiving at least one of the following benefits:

‌

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* Universal Credit * Pension Credit Guarantee Credit * Income Support * Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance * Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Additional requirements must be satisfied if you're seeking free prescriptions via your Universal Credit entitlement. Eligibility may also extend to those not directly receiving these benefits but who appear on an award notice, such as dependants under 20 or the claimant's partner.

### Medical conditions

Various health conditions can make you eligible for a medical exemption certificate, granting access to complimentary NHS prescriptions. Possession of the certificate itself, rather than simply having a qualifying condition, is essential for eligibility, and you may need to present it when collecting your medicines.

Article continues below

Applications for certificates can be made through your GP, with a comprehensive list of qualifying conditions available online. Those currently receiving treatment as NHS inpatients typically receive free prescriptions while under the service's care.

Expectant or new mothers holding a valid maternity exemption certificate, along with individuals possessing a valid war pension exemption certificate requiring prescriptions for a recognised disability, may also be entitled to free prescriptions. For those who don't meet the criteria for completely free prescriptions, several options exist to potentially reduce medication costs.

HC2 and HC3 certificates are accessible to individuals on low incomes who satisfy the requirements, which may provide full or partial assistance with healthcare expenses. Prepayment certificates can also provide a cost-effective solution by covering several months' worth of prescriptions at a reduced rate, though they tend to be financially worthwhile only for those requiring two or more prescribed items on a monthly basis.

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