Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Image: Getty)
Campaigners warned winter fuel cuts could be the start of an assault on pensioners after Chancellor Rachel Reeves was urged to scrap free prescriptions for 60 to 65-year-olds.
The Intergenerational Foundation said free medication should be linked to the state pension age of 66.
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The move to raise the threshold for free prescriptions could raise more than ￡6 billion for the Treasury.
Liz Emerson, chief executive of the Intergenerational Foundation, said: "It seems only fair that workers of any age below state pension age should pay for their own prescriptions rather than passing the bill to on younger taxpayers to pay.”
But Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group, urged Ms Reeves to rule out stripping any further perks from older people at the Budget on October 30.
Mr Reed said: "The so-called Intergenerational Foundation has a history of anti-pensioner statements, feeding a fake narrative that older people have prospered at the expense of the young.
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"Unfortunately this think-tank appears closely aligned with the views of special advisers to the Chancellor who seem to believe that pensioners should be targeted for savings.
"We have consistently warned that the scrapping of winter fuel payments for older people could be the first step in an attack on all universal pensioner benefits and the state pension itself.
"Raising the age of eligibility for free prescriptions in England to 66 would penalise all those older people who are in ill health and unable to work and would lead to patients self-rationing on essential prescriptions.
"The next step would be means-testing free prescriptions for those over 65.
"The government can stop all this speculation by saying very clearly in their Budget on October 30 that there will be no further dilution of pensioner benefits for the whole of this Parliament."
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Jan Shortt, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), warned the move could "cost lives".
She said: “While it might seem logical for think tanks to suggest restricting free prescriptions to those at and above retirement age, there is a moral dilemma to be considered.
"We have an ailing health service, a sad lack of GPs, and long waiting lists for treatment and operations.
"Those in chronic pain and with life-limiting conditions have only the relief of medication to rely on to see them through each day.
"It does not matter your age, if you need medication then you should have access to it.
"There has always been a sense of unfairness around free prescriptions with the three devolved nations offering their residents prescriptions at no cost. Only in England are we paying close to ￡10 an item.
"With energy at an all-time high, many older people are scared to turn on the heating.
"Soon they may have to think about paying for medication - another thing to worry about, and one which could cost lives.
"When will we have a government that is committed to a strategy that eradicates poverty rather than increases it?”
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Ms Emerson said there is "an obvious unfairness if workers below state pension age receive benefits such as free prescriptions subsidised by younger colleagues".
She added: “Age alone is no longer a fair proxy for need with three million over-65s living in millionaire households.
"Why should younger poorer generations continue to subsidise this group? The young are the new poor with over four million children living in poverty and over one million children experienced destitution in 2022.
“All other generations are now means-tested. There are valid arguments to make about where the means-tested threshold should be for the winter fuel allowance as long as all generations are treated equitably starting with the two-child benefit cap.”
Prices for prescriptions in England rose 2.6% to ￡9.90 in April.
Groups entitled to free prescriptions include children, pregnant women and those in receipt of benefits. Prescriptions in Scotland and Wales are free for all patients.
In England, almost 90% of over one billion prescription items dispensed in 2019 were free of charge. Two-thirds were exempt because the patient was aged over 60.
A government report in 2021 found that upping the threshold would raise ￡6.2 billion over 10 years.
The former Tory government ruled out removing free prescriptions for those aged between 60 and 65 in 2023 following a consultation.
It comes as the Labour government is facing an ongoing backlash over restricting winter fuel payments to only those on pension credit.
Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Reeves have blamed the controversial move on a ￡22 billion black hole in the public finances left by the Tories, which they have denied.
The change, which comes as energy bills went up this month, will see around 10 million OAPs lose out on the annual allowance of up to ￡300 and save around ￡1.3 billion in the first year.
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But it has been condemned by charities, opposition parties, unions and even some Labour MPs.
Labour has committed to keeping the triple lock - which sees the state pension rise each April by whichever is highest out of 2.5%, inflation, or average earnings growth - for the duration of this Parliament.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “There are no plans to amend any of the prescription charge exemptions.”