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Eye care entitlements

Find out if you are entitled to free NHS eye tests or optical vouchers and how to claim reimbursements if applicable.

Am I entitled to free NHS sight test?

You qualify for a free NHS funded sight test if you are:

  • aged under 16, or aged under 19 and in full-time education
  • aged 60 or over
  • registered blind or partially sighted
  • diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma
  • aged 40 or over and you are the parent, brother, sister, son or daughter of a person diagnosed with glaucoma, or you have been advised by an ophthalmologist that you are at risk of glaucoma
  • eligible for an NHS complex lens voucher

You are also entitled to a free NHS sight test if:

  • you receive Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (not contribution based)
  • you receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
  • you receive Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • you are entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate
  • you are named on a valid NHS certificate for full help with health costs (HC2)

People named on an NHS certificate for partial help with health costs (HC3) may also get help.

Also read about the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS).
 

NHS-funded mobile sight tests

A NHS-funded mobile sight test is where an optometrist comes to visit you in your own home or at a day centre.

If you are eligible for an NHS-funded sight test you may also be entitled to obtain mobile services if you meet one of the criteria listed below:

  • At home
    If you are unable to leave home unaccompanied because of physical or mental illness or disability.
  • At a residential or care home
    If you normally live there and you are unable to leave the home unaccompanied because of physical or mental illness or disability.
  • At a day centre
    If you would have difficulty in obtaining sight testing services from an optician's practice because of physical or mental illness or disability or because of difficulties in communicating your health needs unaided.

You will be asked to show proof of your entitlement to free NHS sight tests.

If you do not fall within one of the eligible groups who are entitled to a free NHS sight test you will need to pay for it privately. The cost of private sight tests can vary with each optician and it is advisable to shop around.

Am I entitled to an NHS optical voucher?

You may get help with the cost of glasses or contact lenses if you:

  • are aged under 16, or aged under 19 and in full-time education or 
  • are eligible for an NHS complex lens voucher (your optician will advise on your entitlement)

You may also get an NHS optical voucher if:

  • You receive Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (not contribution-based).
  • You receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.
  • You receive Income-based Employment and Support Allowance. 
  • You are entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate. 
  • You are named on a valid NHS certificate for full help with health costs (HC2).

People named on an NHS certificate for partial help with health costs (HC3) may also get help. 

You will be asked to show proof of your entitlement to NHS optical vouchers. There are currently 8 voucher values.

The values are dependent on the strength of your prescription, the higher your prescription the higher your voucher value. If your glasses or contact lenses cost more than your voucher value, you will have to pay the difference.

For more information download the leaflet HC12: charges and optical vouchers (PDF, 52 kb).

Optical voucher values from 1 April 2012

NHS optical voucher grades

Grade A: £37.10
Glasses with single vision lenses with a spherical power of no more than 6 dioptres and a cylindrical power of no more than 2 dioptres.

Grade B: £56.40
Glasses with single vision lenses:

  • with a spherical power more than 6 dioptres but no more than 10 dioptres, and a cylindrical power of no more than 6 dioptres
  • with a spherical power less than 10 dioptres and a cylindrical power more than 2 dioptres but no more than 6 dioptres

Grade C: £82.60
Glasses with single vision lenses with a spherical power of 10 or more dioptres but no more than 14 dioptres, and a cylindrical power of no more than 6 dioptres.

Grade D: £186.50
Glasses with single vision lenses:

  • with a spherical power of more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power
  • with a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power

Grade E: £64.20
Glasses with bifocal lenses with a spherical power of  no more than 6 dioptres, and a cylindrical power of no more than 2 dioptres.

Grade F: £81.60
Glasses with bifocal lenses:

  • with a spherical power of more than 6 dioptres but no more than 10 dioptres, and a cylindrical power of no more than 6 dioptres
  • with a spherical power of less than 10 dioptres, and a cylindrical power of more than 2 dioptres but no more than 6 dioptres

Grade G: £105.80
Glasses with bifocal lenses with a spherical power of 10 or more dioptres but no more than 14 dioptres, and a cylindrical power of no more than 6 dioptres.

Grade H: £205.10
Glasses with prism-controlled bifocal lenses of any power or with bifocal lenses:

  • with a spherical power of  more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power
  • with a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power

Grade I: £191.00
(HES) glasses not falling within any of the grades above for which a prescription is given after your sight is tested by an NHS trust.

How do I claim for help with optical charges?

When you go for your sight test, tell the optician if you are entitled to a free NHS sight test and ask for form GOS1 to apply for it.

If you have a valid HC3 certificate, show it to the optician and ask if you are entitled to any help with the cost of your private sight test. You apply for this help on form GOS5.

If you are entitled to an optical voucher, ask about this when you have your sight test.

 

How can I claim a refund?

Sight test fees

Ask the person who tests your sight for a receipt that shows that you paid for the test and the date of payment. Complete an HC5 claim form for optical charges (PDF, 33kb).

Glasses or contact lenses

If you have already used a voucher towards the cost of your glasses or lenses, you cannot get a refund unless it was a “complex lens” voucher. Nor can you claim a refund of the difference between the voucher value and the actual cost of your glasses or lenses, even if they cost more than the voucher value.

If you want to claim a refund, ask the person who supplies your glasses or contact lenses for a receipt that shows how much you paid plus the date of payment. Complete an HC5 refund form and make sure you enclose your optical prescription and your receipt with your HC5 when you send it off.  The maximum refund you can get back will be the voucher value which matches your prescription.

Lost or damaged glasses or contact lenses

If your glasses or contact lenses have been lost or damaged and you pay for replacement or repairs, you will only be considered for a refund if you are entitled to a voucher.

More detailed information is in leaflet HC12 - charges and optical vouchers (PDF, 52 kb).

Comments

19 Comments

Our rules

Comments are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

Eyesee said on 02 May 2012

The comments on here are quite interesting, particularly the ones claiming optical companies don't want you to get your nhs entitlement in regards to help towards your glasses.

The money you get off your glasses due to the vouchers still goes to the optician: instead of claiming the money from you, the optician claims the money from the NHS instead. So regardless of whether you pay the money or use a nhs voucher the optician is no worse/better off either way. They aren't trying to con you with vouchers because they don't gain anything from not telling you about the vouchers. If anything they will tell you about your entitlement because if it costs you less money you're more likely to buy - and the optician still claims the money you don't pay!

Secondly opticians can only work with the information you give them: if you don't tell them you receive benefits of any sort, how are they supposed to know? If you do, they should give you the voucher (for reasons stated above). Most opticians ask these questions as standard to ensure they don't miss nhs patients.

The voucher value code you are given relates to your prescription, basically the more complex (high prescription/prisms/high astigmatism) your prescription is the more money you get off, as these lenses tend to be thicker and benefit from features such as being thinned down, which costs more money to manufacture.

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star999 said on 23 March 2012

Sorry, don't know why my comment has gone on twice, I only pressed it once, honest!!!

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star999 said on 23 March 2012

" I've been searching this site and online for a couple of hours now and have not been able to find the info that I want. It's pretty simple. I want to know:

1. How much is covered by the NHS voucher for a child's glasses.

2. How to use / claim that allowance.

That's some of the most basic info anyone would come to this website for, surely, and it's pretty unimpressive not to find it here.

Can you fix this please? It will be too late for me, but may help others who want the same info. "

It is not a simple question.

There are different price bands for the vouchers.

My daughters voucher is a grade B which is £55.10 my friends son is a grade A which is £36.20. The garde will be on your childs voucher.

The opticians decides which grade your child needs and the information on how much they are worth is above.

The opticians should also provide everything you need which is taken off as soon as you order the glasses, so there is no how to claim/use that allowance.

I normally pay £35 over the voucher for my daughters glasses, if I went to one optician they would be completely free, but for my own reasons I choose not to use them.

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blakek said on 15 March 2012

Had to have an early eye test before christmas as i was concerned that the lighting in the new open plan office i was working in was affecting my vision. I had to pay for my eye test and didnt think anything of it as i knew this year i would be able to use my voucher to change my lens as there was a little change to my prescription. Went into my local specsavers last week to see about changing my glasses as the coating was coming off them and with my voucher would be able to have it at a cheaper cost. When i enquired what my voucher would be i was told that they thought i was private and i should have notified them that i was entitled to a voucher and costs towards my sight test. I was shocked as i have been with specsavers for 6 years and all my children are with them too for there sight test and glasses. When i poiinted out to them that they were aware from the moment i started going to them and that i have always just gone to them that it didnt enter my mind to consistently mention this as they keep a database of existing customers. The only response i had was they would try and findout if i can have a voucher re-issued, there was no apology for poor customer service, no assistance. Discovering that for the last 3 years i have paid full cost for my glasses and sight test and there was no apology from them was a huge surprise to say the least. I have learnt a very difficult lesson and intend to go to a different opticians where they know who you are and even if they dont they ensure they follow they information kept on there systems!!!!!!

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wabsbio said on 03 March 2012

I've been searching this site and online for a couple of hours now and have not been able to find the info that I want. It's pretty simple. I want to know:

1. How much is covered by the NHS voucher for a child's glasses.

2. How to use / claim that allowance.

That's some of the most basic info anyone would come to this website for, surely, and it's pretty unimpressive not to find it here.

Can you fix this please? It will be too late for me, but may help others who want the same info.

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Mr Mark Kerr said on 23 February 2012

Any complaints relating to NHS opticians - clinical, pricing, attitude etc should be made to your Primary Care Trust. Each optician has a contract issued by the PCT and that defines level of service etc. These contracts can be withdrawn, the practitioner asked to explain and respond to the complaint and in certain instances, an optician may be removed from the PCT's Performers List, which will result in him/her being unable to provide any NHS services. This does actually happen.

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glassesreglazedcouk said on 10 November 2011

not all opticians want to rip you off,shop around online for the best deals.

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chevyg30 said on 29 October 2011

Don't be bullied by sales people in any Opticians!! It's happening all of the time and has been for years. If you are not careful they will rip you off big time, will add so many things on that the price ends up shockingly expensive. What's more some take the full payment the smae day and you haven't even had time to try on the glasses at this stage.
Our tip is have your eye test and literally force them to work out how much the final cost of a pair of glasses will be. Get them to write down the price for you, line by line and including any NHS voucher discount. Don't select or buy your frame on the day instead tell them you will be going home to look through their website and this then gives you plenty of time to make your frame selection, plus they have more choice online. When you are ready phone them up and give them the frame number from their website and ask them to email you the price again. You can then email back to let them know that you would like to go ahead.
The other day both of us went to the Opticians and we had our strategy in place well in advance. I wear contact lenses and just needed the test as I buy these online at half the price. However, my glasses do need the lenses changing and as I don't wear these that often I wasn't prepared to pay a fortune. Shock or what when they quoted me £150 just for varifocal lenses! No way. I pinned them down big time, stuck to my guns so to speak, and miracle of miracles the price was eventually haggled down to a mere £25. That is some difference, not to mention an attempt at a hard sell with the wrong person.
We still have not committed to anything with them and are currently browsing their website to make frame selections. With the NHS voucher we are able to choose a designer frame of up to £169 + lenses comes to £204. We'll only have to pay a maximum of £65!
Don't be bullied, take your time, find out what you really are entitled to!

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Minus10 said on 03 October 2011

I have noticed a malpractice how the opticians use the NHS complex lens voucher. This is how it goes: the opticians make you sign the form that you have received the NHS voucher (without necessarily telling you what the form is about), and then they 'forget' to knock the voucher off your bill when you pay for your glasses. Because you have signed the form the optician can claim the money from the NHS. Nice extra income for them! This has happened to me twice now. - I would like the NHS to change the way how the opticians can claim money from the complex lens voucher. They would simply need to attach to the form a copy of the customer's receipt showing that the money actually has gone to the customer.

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madear said on 30 September 2011

It seems that adults in full time education (meaning young students that are still dependent on their parents) and not claiming any benefits are not included in any references in this instance.
Suddenly a parent who used to get free eye tests and glasses for their children has to pay full prices as soon as they hit 19. Is this the right assumption?
My son is still in college (his last year) and is now 19. Do I have to pay full prices for him? Is there some special student rate or something? He is overdue for an eye test and whilst I am ok with the cost of this, it is the cost of new glasses that I am worried about.
I would appreciate someone in the know advising me as I am clueless.

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C Walsh said on 05 June 2011

Thank you to aelinora, artyscoot and Sile Hujus for showing/locating the entitlements relating to prescriptions. This seems to almost be a state secret!

The information pages should also have a link to the HC3 form, which I cannot locate anywhere on the NHS Choices website, but they don't. Does no-one from the website admin side read these posts, to ensure that they add information that people need and are asking for?

The information others have provided shows that I could have been receiving up to £55 of help toward my glasses, but the opticians have never said so before... typical! My lenses are costing astronomical sums these days. And it seems I have had this potential entitlement for years.

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Sile Hujus said on 15 February 2011

#aelinora - thanks for the link to the ABC codes. The info has since moved within that renamed site. Go to: http://www.optometry.co.uk/voucher-values

If needing an explanation of eye prescriptions try: http://www.selectspecs.com/info/help-with-prescription/
or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyeglass_prescription

Well done to anyone else who has found their way this far through the electronic labyrinth!



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Artyscoot said on 08 February 2011

The latest rates are included on this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/NHS_Optical_Benefits_in_the_UK

I've included the basic information below. I hope this helps!

Prescription Details 2010-11

A.
Single vision glasses with a sphere power not more than 6 dioptres, but with cylinder power not more than 2 dioptres.
£36.20

B.
Single vision lenses:
1. Glasses with a sphere power more than 6 dioptres, but less than 10 dioptres, with cylinder power not more than 6 dioptres;
2. Glasses with a sphere power less than 10 dioptres, and a cylinder power more than 2 dioptres but not more than 6 dioptres.
£55.10

C.
Glasses with a sphere power 10 or more dioptres, but not more than 14 dioptres, with cylinder power not more than 6 dioptres.
£80.60

D.
Single vision lenses:
1. Glasses with a sphere power of more than 14 dioptres, with any cylinder power;
2. Glasses with a cylinder power of more than 6 dioptres, with any sphere power.
£182.00

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SJR30 said on 03 September 2010

Just waded through all the pages myself to get here.

I've also spoken to NHS Business Authority and discovered as follows:-

You show your NHS entitlement certificate to your optician;

The optician then states on your prescription:-

(NHS) Voucher Issued Yes / No

And then they state what grade of voucher (from the A, B, C etc. list mentioned) based on how 'bad' (distorted) your eyes are.

That automatically then gives you a discount on lenses. The optician then claims the discount from the NHS; you have to pay the difference.

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aelinora said on 25 June 2010

The only place I could find an explanation of the ABC codes was here: http://www.otmagazine.co.uk/vouchervalues.php

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Bumblebye said on 04 March 2010

As with previous poster, I want an explanation of the alphabetised voucher rates. Such information should be accessible on this site. Also someone needs to correct the information on how to get the HC2 & HC3 cert, as it merely repeats the entitlement info. It's very frustrating to be unable to access full & proper information in a place where it ought to be readily available.

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beehummingbird said on 02 March 2010

Where it lists the Optical Voucher values there are different grades (A, B C etc), but it doesn't mention what these grades are or how they work them out. I think they might refer to how bad your sight is, but i'm really not sure.

They should say exactly what they mean by these grades, so that you have a clearer idea of the amount you can expect to get.

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beehummingbird said on 02 March 2010

Where it lists the Optical Voucher values there are different grades (A, B C etc), but it doesn't mention what these grades are or how they work them out. I think they might refer to how bad your sight is, but i'm really not sure.

They should say exactly what they mean by these grades, so that you have a clearer idea of the amount you can expect to get.

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Common Tater said on 31 July 2009

the written advice on this page and everywhere else in the health service (even the current lealfet HC12) makes no sense on charge for sight tests. Nowhere does it state what the charges are, and apparently they are free to all, anywhere you look, even the most up to date sites. But it then goes on to list those who get free sight tests.
Well, free to all or not?? and if not, how much?

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Last reviewed: 01/04/2011

Next review due: 31/03/2013

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Phone 0845 601 8076 for queries about medical exemption certificates.

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Phone 0845 610 1112 to order a paper copy of the HC12, HC11 or HC5 forms

For all other queries call 0845 850 1166

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