It’s important for people to be sure their circumstances do permit them to claim to avoid facing a steep penalty.

Keith Ridge, chief pharmaceutical officer for NHS England said: “Free prescriptions ensure that at-risk groups of people get the medication they need, but it’s crucial that this support also offers best value for taxpayers.

“Pharmacy teams are at the front-line in helping people understand the criteria for free prescriptions, and because mistaken claims place an extra cost burden on the NHS.”

People fraudulently claiming free prescriptions costs the NHS up to £256million a year, according to the public health service.