Dental patients are being cautioned that incorrectly ticking a single box on their forms could land them with a hefty fine. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people receive penalty charge notices for wrongly claiming free dental treatment.
A freedom of information request by MSE revealed that in 2024/2025, a staggering 211,968 PCNs were issued for this very issue – nearly double the figure from the previous year. Each fine can amount to as much as £100, or even more should payment be delayed, as the NHS can begin adding surcharges after a set number of days.
Only specific people are entitled to free or partially free NHS dental treatment. This is typically made clear on the forms patients complete at their dentist’s surgery, where they can tick relevant boxes to indicate they qualify for the free care.
Source: People told to check eligibility at the dentist as fines issued / KentLive