Thousands of people may lose access to free prescriptions as a result of changes to the State Pension.

According to the Health Secretary’s proposals, older Britons may be denied free medication that previous generations were entitled to, while thousands remain unaware that they are eligible for free NHS prescriptions.

For more than a half-century, Brits over the age of 60 have had free access to NHS-prescribed medicines.

However, a proposed prescription change by Health Secretary Sajid Javid could force millions of older Britons to pay for their essential medication.

The change would tie the eligibility for free prescriptions to the State Pension age, which is currently 66 but is set to rise even higher. This could imply that younger Britons will have to wait until they’re older.

Because this change only affects England, all prescriptions in Scotland and Wales will remain free. Similarly, this change will only affect those who automatically qualify for free prescriptions due to their age; those who qualify due to illness or disability will continue to receive their medication for free.