Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of NHS prescription fines that have been issued to people on (a) contribution-based Employment Support Allowance and (b) Savings Credit in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not held. Contribution based Employment Support Allowances and Savings Credits do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges. No information is recorded on the FP10 relating to these benefits, nor at the time of issuing a penalty charge notice.

Qualifying benefits for exemption from prescription charges are Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit with Savings Credit. Individuals who receive either Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit paid together, or Working Tax Credit including a disability element are entitled to free National Health Service prescriptions if the annual family income used to calculate tax credits is £15,276 or less. Individuals on Universal Credit may qualify for free prescriptions depending on the take-home pay in the last assessment period.

People on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges can seek help under the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides income related help with health costs to people who are not automatically exempt from charges.