Fined for prescription

I’ve had a fine come through for not having a valid maternity exemption certificate when getting a prescription. I was 8 months pregnant at the time and obviously ticked exempt from paying because of being pregnant. I originally thought the exemption certificate was just your mat B1 form. No one told me otherwise and no one told me to get an exemption certificate or how to get one. They’re saying if I get the certificate and send them proof then I won’t have to pay the fine but I’ll still have to pay the prescription charges. Surely that’s not right as I was pregnant therefore exempt from paying for prescriptions. I’ve also had quite a few prescriptions after the one I’ve been fined for and always ticked the same thing about being exempt from paying so why are they only making me pay for the one prescription? Anyone else been in this situation?

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I was in this situation, I just paid for the prescription as couldn’t be bothered to argue it. I’d rather of lost out on the prescription charge vs pay the fine as annoying as it was!

You should have the certificate in your emails 😊 x

Ohhh I thought it was the same with the mat b1 I got prescriptions the other day and I’m on
maternity right now so I said to him I didn’t have to pay but I’m also on universal credits so would I have to pay ?

I got caught out on this too. I was so cross. Like you, noone told me I needed to apply for the certificate - the doctor knew I was pregnant so I just assumed it was 'on the system'. It's crazy - Google it. LOADS of people get caught out as it's just not made clear. I phoned and explained and was asked to pay for the prescription and then the fine would go away. Which it did. So stupid. X

It's a random check. So you may or not be random checked for your other prescriptions. I'm waiting for more too! In the meantime, go to your docs and fill in the certificate. It can be back dated but only a month x

It’s because it’s a random check on that one prescription - unfortunately there may be others coming your way. I asked my midwife and she emailed me an exemption form at around 7 weeks!

There was a whole story about this on the Guardian a while ago...it's so unfair because it's the midwife's fault- I had to ask repeatedly for mine to be sent after my 8 week appt.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/04/nhs-fines-mothers-for-claiming-free-prescriptions-while-pregnant

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