Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘How many penalty charges - each month - have been issued for claiming a free prescription without being exempt from paying prescription charges?

How many penalty charges (per month) have been issued without providing evidence that the individual has made such a claim e.g. This typically involves a signed declaration on the prescription form or an electronic record indicating that the person claimed exemption from payment.

How many people have challenged the penalty charges (per month)?

How many of these charges (per month) have been investigated by reviewing the signed declarations?

How many penalty notices (per month) have been cancelled after review has taken place.'

Date range: 1 January 2020 to 30 November 2025.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 19 December 2025.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Our response

Question 1 - How many penalty charges - each month - have been issued for claiming a free prescription without being exempt from paying prescription charges?

A copy of the data is attached.

Please note, we stopped issuing penalty charge notices (PCNs) in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We began issuing PCNs again in 2022.

Question 2 - How many penalty charges (per month) have been issued without providing evidence that the individual has made such a claim e.g. This typically involves a signed declaration on the prescription form or an electronic record indicating that the person claimed exemption from payment.

We have a copy of the signed declaration for all PCNs issued.

Question 3 - How many people have challenged the penalty charges (per month)?

Following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA.

We do hold data for successful challenges, but we do not record unsuccessful challenges.

Question 4 - How many of these charges (per month) have been investigated by reviewing the signed declarations?

Following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA.

We have copies of all signed declarations before issuing the PCN, therefore no investigation needs to take place. A prescription form could be signed by a patient, a patient’s representative or the pharmacist. We have no way of knowing which one signed, but all are valid.

Question 5 - How many penalty notices (per month) have been cancelled after review has taken place?

Following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA.

As above, we have copies of all signed declarations before issuing the PCN, therefore no investigation needs to take place.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2026”. Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.