Free NHS eye tests and optical vouchers
You may be entitled to a free NHS sight test and help towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses. See below for guidance and further information.
This information is correct at the time of writing, but guidance and eligibility does change over time, so please do check with us first.
Free sight tests
You qualify for a free NHS sight test if you are:
- aged over 60
- under 16, or 16-18 in full time education
- hearing impaired
- diabetic
- at risk of developing eye disease due to family history or ethnicity
- named on a valid HC2 certificate
- under 20 and the dependant of someone receiving certain benefits
- on a low income
Or if you receive any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- A valid NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate
- Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit, where you meet the qualifying criteria
- A complex lens prescription (over 10.00)
Help with the cost of glasses or contact lenses
You are entitled to an NHS optical voucher towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses if you:
- are aged under 16
- are 16-18 in full time education
- receive income based benefits (shown above)
- are named on a valid HC2 or HC3 certificate
- have been prescribed a complex lens voucher
Repairing or replacing glasses or contact lenses
You can get NHS vouchers for repair or replacement of glasses if you are:
- under 16
- under 19 and in qualifying full-time education
- under 18 and in the care of a local authority
Otherwise, you may still be entitled if your local health board agrees the loss or damage was due to illness, no warranty or insurance can help, and you would qualify for an NHS voucher.
This does not apply to disposable contact lenses.
If you are unsure about your eligibility for this support or have questions, just ask us. You can also use the NHS online checker to see what help you can get.
Think you might qualify?
Call us on 01443 223 712 and we will happily check for you, or book your eye test online.
You may also be interested in: Eye examinations · Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)