How unfair is this ?

There's one set of people, devolution doesn't favour. Us English. No offence but I am beginning to wish the Union would break up then we English can have our own Parliament and the Scots and Welsh can sink or swim on their own, it should be the same for all of us not just parts of the UK.

BBC News - MSPs vote to axe NHS prescription charges in Scotland

[pompeyfaith]

Re: How unfair is this ?

Well does not effect me anyway as mine are free

[Sapphire]

Re: How unfair is this ?

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but arn't prescriptions already free in Wales and NI ?

[pompeyfaith]

Re: How unfair is this ?

Yes they are so we cant be in line with the rest of our unions let alone the EU mined you I wonder if that will change for NI given the money problems they have and a new party now in government.

[Sapphire]

Re: How unfair is this ?

Now they are royally taking the pi** BBC News - Prescription charges to increase by 20p in England

[Caspar]

Re: How unfair is this ?

I get free prescriptions, but would have them in England as well due to low income. Being serious I think giving Local Government more power is a good thing to address local priorities which, by their nature, are known to local people.

However, I don't think Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland would have a hope in hell of surviving without substantial central funding from London - they just don't produce enough income to make it feasible.

I don't want to sink, I don't want to move, so sorry Sapph, I need you to change your mind!

[WendyB]

Re: How unfair is this ?

Don't you have to be on some form of benefits, or a student, or an OAP or pregnant etc to get free prescriptions?
Prescription costs

[Caspar]

Re: How unfair is this ?

Obviously not - sorry didn't look at your link, but my wife and I have been sent cards for free prescriptions for years, including when we lived in England.

[WendyB]

Re: How unfair is this ?

wish someone would send me one How do you qualify for a card for free prescriptions then? I used to get one when I was on Family Credits years ago, but that was a long time ago.

[Caspar]

Re: How unfair is this ?

You can get free NHS prescriptions if, at the time the prescription is dispensed, you:

• are 60 or over
• are under 16
• are 16-18 and in full-time education
• are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)
• have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
• have a continuing physical disability that prevents you from going out without help from another person and have a valid MedEx
• hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
• are an NHS inpatient

I think we qualify under this bit:

You are also entitled to free prescriptions if you or your partner (including civil partners) are named on, or are entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate or a valid HC2 certificate (full help with health costs), or you receive either:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

Find out more about the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS).

[WendyB]

Re: How unfair is this ?

yes I read that but don't think we would qualify for one of those either, as neither of us have any of the illnesses that qualify for an HC2, I've read all the qualifying bumf for an HC2 and it seems to me to be almost impossible to get one unless you are on the absolute poverty line or suffer from some obscure minority illness, which fortunately we don't. So my ohter half will just have to carry on paying 7.25 for every prescription for his asthma etc, although it will never go away and he will have it for life

Might just move to Wales...

[Caspar]

Re: How unfair is this ?

Just read all the bumph. We get it on income through tax credits as our income is so low. Again a situation we'd rather not be in, but we are. Annoyingly our income is still too high for income related benefits.

Even more annoying I help the local restaurant do their accounts and they have a massive turnover. This year they paid less tax in the year than I pay in one month on my meagre pension. Now that's unfair!

[Caspar]

Re: How unfair is this ?

Returning to Sapph's original thread I have to agree. As I said earlier I can see the point in devolving money to areas to deal with local issues (I believe they're called councils), but there is no way in reality that without England any of the rest would survive economically. Also England would suffer massively from total devolution as it would lose all the taxes etc... run up in W,S and NI. If London then becomes threatened as the financial capital then there really could be serious times ahead. In reality we all need each other, and we need to realise as a nation that the Welfare State that has been the pillar of the UK for so long, just cannot be sustained in its present form and needs some serious modifications and some VERY tough decisions would need to be taken. For example - if it's costing a fortune to keep a patient alive and all they will ever be is a "vegetable" (no insult intended whatsoever to anyone who knows or is related to people in this situation) do you keep them alive artificially for years and years or not? Should cosmetic surgery for boob jobs, sex changes etc.... be available on the NHS or should it be for the likes of people who've been severely injured in a fire.

Should the unemployed receive benefit to do nothing, or should they do something, menial or otherwise to "earn" their benefit? Should there be a limit as to how long one can be on benefit?

The list could go on for ever, but IMO it's these decisions that need taking if the Welfare State is to be sustainable and the UK with or without devolution is to survive long term.

I do know one thing as a fact. My brother earns a massively obscene salary. He has no understanding of the real world and how his brother survives day to day, hand to mouth. I wonder how many of our politicians are like my brother?

[ed.]

Re: How unfair is this ?

Sod that, instead of signing on my missus went self employed a decade ago. If she'd have signed on, she'd be raking it in and would've been for years. Class 2 NI contribs mean nothing, therefore despite her work history, she has a two year gap of no class 1 contribs and can't claim anything anymore.

Oh to be an immigrant or a scrounger FFS.

What about a peep who has worked and paid for 40 years but takes two years off and doesn't sign on....this country would fail to give them the benefit they have ferking paid for.

As for prescriptions, yeah because the English residents subsidise Wales, Scotland etc. Same as plenty of other benefits.

You want devolution, fine you lose the subsidy....that would soon change votes!

England, the slave of Great Britain.

[Caspar]

Re: How unfair is this ?

I'm not Welsh, but live in Wales and I couldn't agree more. As I said in my post, none could survive entirely on their own - we need each other. The subsidy business needs tackling to make people in those countries realise that.