Check Before You Tick | NHSBSA

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• Don't get caught out by penalty charges
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  • Check before you tick
• Understanding penalty charges

• Respond to your letter
• Don't get caught out by penalty charges
  • Check before you tick
• Understanding penalty charges

Check before you tick Check before you tick

Find out if you're entitled to free NHS prescriptions, NHS dental treatment and help with other NHS costs using our eligibility checker.

It usually takes 3 minutes to check.

If you claim free NHS prescriptions or NHS dental treatment when you're not entitled, you could face a £100 penalty charge. Even if it's by mistake.Start

You're entitled to free NHS prescriptions if you:

• get certain benefits
• have a valid maternity exemption certificate
• have a valid medical exemption certificate
• have a valid war pension exemption certificate
• have an HC2 certificate (NHS Low Income Scheme)
• have paid for a 3 or 12 month NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate that covers all NHS prescriptions
• are 60 or over
• are under 16 (or 16-18 and in full-time education)

You're entitled to free NHS dental treatment if you're:

• under 18 (or under 19 and in full-time education)
• pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months
• being treated in an NHS hospital and your treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist (but you may have to pay for any dentures or bridges)
• receiving certain benefits, or you're aged 19 and under and a dependant of someone receiving certain benefits
• entitled to or named on a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate
• entitled to or named on a valid HC2 certificate

Check if your existing exemption certificate is still valid

You could already be entitled to free NHS prescriptions if you have a valid exemption certificate.

Find out if your exemption certificate:

• entitles you to free NHS prescriptions
• is due to expire soon

Check your existing certificate

NHS Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC)

If you have paid for a HRT PPC you can get certain NHS prescribed HRT medicines for free. It does not cover all HRT medicines or other NHS prescriptions.

Find out more about HRT PPCs.

You cannot use this service to check if you have a valid HRT PPC. Contact us if you would like to check this.

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• Don't get caught out by penalty charges
• Check before you tick

Prescription leaflets and alternative formats

• Free NHS prescriptions guide for patients (PDF: 837KB)
• Free NHS prescription guide for patients - large print (PDF: 293KB)
• Free NHS prescriptions easy read guide (PDF: 5.38MB)
• Prescription 'check before you tick' leaflet - British Sign Language version (opens on YouTube)
• Prescription 'check before you tick' leaflet - audio version (opens on SoundCloud)

Dental leaflets and alternative formats

• Dental 'check before you tick' leaflet (PDF: 504KB)
• Dental 'check before you tick' easy read leaflet (PDF: 1.22MB)
• Dental 'check before you tick' easy read poster (PDF: 3.17MB)
• Dental 'check before you tick' large print leaflet (PDF: 80KB)

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