Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to review the adequacy of the earnings criteria for free prescriptions.

No discussions have been held between my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on expanding eligibility to all claimants in receipt of Universal Credit. The Department keeps the earnings thresholds for free prescriptions under review on an annual basis.

Approximately 89% of prescription items dispensed in community pharmacy in England are free of charge, and for the first time in three years prescription charges have been frozen, meaning around 40% of the population will save money on their prescriptions.