I have been told you can claim for special dietry needs food for coliac sufferers, my daughter of 7 has just been diagnosed with it.

[harley09]

Drs in the morning for all information, but I tried to see illnesses etc for qualifying for extrra help wiht buying the food etc on DWP site but it does not give you any of this information. How do I see about getting help wiht htis?

[Regalbirdy]

Hi Harley09.

You have been told correctly - diagnosed coeliac's can have food on prescription. How much this actually amounts to varies from area to area.

In my area she would be entitled to 13 units per month. A unit is a loaf of fresh bread; or 250g of pasta; or 8 long life bread rolls; or 2 pizza bases; or 250 g of flour/bread mix (although this is normally dispensed in 500g boxes - ie two units at a time). Fresh bread is normally dispensed in batches/boxes of eight loaves (8 units).

Some areas will allow you to have breakfast cereals and crackers on prescription. Unfortunately my area doesn't

[Regalbirdy]

Grr... Blasted website seems to have cut the end of my message off (sorry!

[Hollyberry]

Yes she can get up to 16 points a month I beleive, but best check this out with the Coeliac society, ie 1 loaf = point, but the CS will give you all the info.

[Hollyberry]

Also some GF food providers ie Juvela and Gluten plus others sometimes give you free samples to try when newly diagnosed. This helps you find products your daughter will like..

[tmoxon]

Hi here is link to the page on cuk for prescriptions coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-... you are better to look this up yourself before going to the GP, as some GP's aren't that well informed. If you scroll down the page you will see a child of 7 should be allowed 13 units a month.

Your daughter should be given an appointment with a dietician also. Hope this helps

[pretender]

You will only get help with prescriptions from your GP there is nothing in the DWP benefit system that will give a penny to a Coeliac, no matter what sensitivity you have because the different levels of sensitivity are not even understood by the medical profession or that ingredients in prescribed foods may trigger other health issues.

[physiogirl]

I can't have alot of things but every little certainly helps!

[loobylou123]

You need to ask for it tho, your Doctor may not make you aware that your daughter is entitled to prescription products, but saying that your PCT issues Doctors with a guide some are better than others, our PCT is very bad for their allowance.

[haydn74]

If just diagnosed, then you should, as I did, sign up to the Glutafin and Juvela website and they will send a free hamper of goods to try. I did, and the selection was great

[barrie1940]

you can claim for food for coeliac ask your doctor.i receive gluton free wheat free bread and pasta you should avoid wheat-barley-rye eny food containing these ingriediants will give you the runs.

[Dippydora]

She can indeed put a monthly prescription in at your local chemist and receive bread, flour and pizza bases. They have just changed the rules on what you can have no longer biscuits etc in our area. Do join Coeliac UK though their directory is invaluable for familiarising yourself with products she may/may not eat. Good luck it really isn't difficult to manage once you get going.

[pretender]

It is not just about being diagnosed as a Coeliac because after that there is finding your level of sensitivity. The majority can tolerate the derivatives permitted in GF foods, there are growing numbers who cannot. Coeliac UK promotes GF foods for those who can tolerate the derivatives. If you suffer from these derivatives then it will be up to your GP if you can have biscuits and other products that do not contain derivatives, so the Coeliac UK food directory will not be useful. The rules were changed some time ago about what you can have so you might need to contact your PCT for guidance

[MrsJourns]

If your daughter has just been diagnosed then her Gastro consultant should put you in touch with a dietician. As well as talking you through the gluten free diet, they can help you plan what gluten free products to get on prescription and will tell your GP what you are entitled to. These can then be set up on repeat prescription.

[LHine]

I think you can always get some things on prescription (but you'd still pay a script charge if you normally do - which maybe doesn't apply to children?), but exactly what you can claim changes according to area and the discretion of your GP/surgery. So you really would have to get this info from your doctor.

The most usual things seem to be breads, flours, pasta, crackers.

Personally, I eat very little of this stuff now because it is full of chemicals I know nothing about, is never organic, and often still has wheat in (codex - allowed by NHS rules, but reacted to by many coeliacs). However, when I was first diagnosed I found the prescription stuff very helpful while I was making the transition to cooking completely gluten free.

This site continues to help me, so I recommend keeping an eye on it.

Good luck.