Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government will refund penalty charges for people who subsequently were given a medical exemption certificate.

It is important that those who should pay prescription charges do so. However we recognise that some people with an underlying medical entitlement to exemption are not clear about the requirement to hold a valid exemption certificate. We have therefore introduced a new process whereby if someone has made a claim for medical (or maternity) exemption, and there is no evidence they hold an exemption certificate, they will still receive a penalty charge, but this can be cancelled if they submit a valid application for a medical (or maternity) exemption certificate within 60 days of the receipt of the penalty charge notice.