§ Mr. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the current level of income below which a person may qualify for free prescriptions; what account is taken of dependants; whether income from any particular source or sources is disregarded; and whether he intends to increase the income limit when prescriptions are next raised.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe qualifying levels of income are based on the supplementary benefit scale rates to which is added a "tolerance margin" equal to £1.50 plus the cost of one prescription item. The levels vary with individual circumstances, including the number, age and income of dependants, any additional requirements and items of income which are disregarded in full or in part. They increase automatically when supplementary benefit is uprated or when the "tolerance margin" is raised
When the prescription charge is increased from £1.60 to £2 on 1 April, the "tolerance margin" will automatically increase by the same amount. This will ensure that no-one currently entitled to low income exemption loses out due to the increase in the prescription charge.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of free prescriptions are dispensed for drugs which do not require a prescription to each category of persons entitled to free prescriptions.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe estimate that approximately 30 per cent. of medicines and appliances prescribed and dispensed for those in the exempt groups are also available without prescription.
We do not collect prescription information in a way which would allow similar estimates to be made for each of the exempt groups.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of free prescriptions are dispensed to each category of persons entitled to free prescriptions.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe information available is as follows:
Percentage of all exempt items dispensed for that category Exemption Category Percentage Children under 16 19.3 Women 60 and over, men 65 and over 58.1 FPC Exempt 8.2 DHSS Exempt 14.0 War/Service Pensioners 0.4 Notes:
1. Figures relate to England only in 1983 and are based on sample data.
2. The category 'FPC exempt' covers those entitled to exemption on 325W medical grounds, pregnant women and women who have had a baby within the preceding 12 months.
3. The category 'DHSS exempt' covers those entitled to exemption because they receive supplementary allowance, supplementary pension, family income supplement or housing benefit supplement and those awarded low income exemption.
4. The small proportion of exempt items where the exemption declaration does not specify an exemption category have been ignored.
5. No charge contraceptive items are not included.