# Medical Card Allowance Under 70



## Babyboo (22 Jan 2009)

Hi

Just looking for some advice. I am 60 years old.

I have retired from work due to arthritis and I am currently on invalidity pension which is EUR 347 per week. My pension from my job is EUR 137 per week. I cleared my mortgage with my lump sum from my job so we wouldn't be living in poverty. I was refused a medical card even though I have EUR 100 worth of medication per month. 

The social welfare office told me that the medical card allowance is EUR 266 per week per married couple. I thought the allowance was EUR 266 per person because if you are over 70, it's EUR 700 per person. Surley this doesn't make sense because if I was unemployed and claiming the labour for myself and my wife, I would receive more for myself and wife than EUR 266. Does this mean that if someone is receiving more than EUR 266 per week that they don't get the medical card?

I am just looking for clarification on this because I need to go back into them to sort this out.

Thanks


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## pudds (22 Jan 2009)

What they told you appears to be right,

*Income guidelines if you are aged under 70 years*


*Weekly income limit (Gross, less tax and PRSI)* 
*Category* *Aged under 66* 

Single person living alone €184 

Married couple/lone-parent with dependent children €266.50 

[broken link removed]


But the *Golden Rule* is to ALWAYS  apply anyway, because there are often other circumstances that may still qualify you if you are above these guideline rates.  Also don't forget the GP only card.


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## Babyboo (22 Jan 2009)

Ok thanks pudds

I've looked into the GP only card which I will talk to them about. Thanks for the response


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## Black Sheep (24 Jan 2009)

By all means apply for your medical card making sure to include the costs of medication and doctors visits and any others related costs ie. travel for hospital checks etc.

Medication 100 per month = 1200 @ Murphy's Pharmacy
Doctor's visits 50 x6         =  300 @ Dr.Joe Bloggs
Hospital travel 20 x6         =  120 @ St Vincents Hosp
Total                                1620

This may help for a GP card. It's the same application form as a full medical card. The assessment is first looked at for medical card and if that fails they re-assess for a GP card


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## nesbitt (26 Jan 2009)

Please do apply for the medical card anyway.  Give as much detail as possible and enclose a letter from your GP stating your medical condition and your requirement for prescription medication.  

If you get knocked back for medical card, appeal the decision.

If still the answer is, no as other posters said apply for the GP card and the scheme for families for prescription medicine (someone help me out here can't remember the name of it)  basically it means that prescription medicine cannot go over a certain threshold (say 90 euro don't know actual amount) for you, your wife and any qualifying dependants ie. family.


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## gipimann (26 Jan 2009)

nesbitt said:


> If still the answer is, no as other posters said apply for the GP card and the scheme for families for prescription medicine (someone help me out here can't remember the name of it) basically it means that prescription medicine cannot go over a certain threshold (say 90 euro don't know actual amount) for you, your wife and any qualifying dependants ie. family.


 
The card you're thinking of is the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) card, and the current limit is €100 per calendar month.


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