Vouchers for glasses

pmlindyloo

I wonder if someone could help.

Mum is in a nursing home and receives pension Credit.

She was visited yesterday by an optician - EyeConcern- who were very efficient.

She needs new glasses both for distance and reading with new presciptions in both. Her left eye has a cataract - very little vision.

The optician asked if she was on Pension Credit. They did not mention anything about vouchers.

They charged £110 for the new glasses.

Does this sound about right?

GlasweJen

Vouchers are only for people on the guarantee pension credit, not the savings credit.

If on PCG she would have been given a form to sign to declare she is on PCG and is claiming an optical voucher. The vouchers aren't worth much (37.10 in Scotland for an A voucher) but she would get a voucher for each pair (if she went for bifocals she would get £62.70). The cataract doesn't come into it, there's no extra voucher for that.

The voucher covers basic frame and lenses, if your mum opted for a nicer frame or for a coating then she would have to pay the difference between the voucher and the glasses.

The only way to find out what she is being charged for is to ask your mum exactly what she ordered. If the optician hasn't deducted the voucher she can call to enquire, you can do this on your mums behalf with her permission.

pmlindyloo

Thanks so much for this.

I only mentioned the cateract because from my reading I understood a larger amount was awarded according to the level of the prescription.

They are sending me the invoice so I can see from that.

I was there when she had her eyes tested (she is bed bound) and she did sign the form.

It was all rather stressful so I forgot to ask how the price was arrived at.

Torry_Quine

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I wonder if someone could help.

Mum is in a nursing home and receives pension Credit.

She was visited yesterday by an optician - EyeConcern- who were very efficient.

She needs new glasses both for distance and reading with new presciptions in both. Her left eye has a cataract - very little vision.

The optician asked if she was on Pension Credit. They did not mention anything about vouchers.

They charged £110 for the new glasses.

Does this sound about right?

When my great-aunt was in a care home she had her eyes tested and a new pair of glasses every year for which she never had to pay anything. She was on pension credit

GlasweJen

If the eye with the cataract in it can't be made better with glasses then usually a "balance" lens is put in which means a lens close to the one for the good eye so that the glasses aren't lop sided. If the cataract eye can be made better with glasses the voucher might become a B which is worth 56.40 (in Scotland).

There would be 2 forms to sign if you get a voucher - one for the eye test and one for the voucher. The forms are different down south so I don't know what colours they are sorry!

Any "extras" should have been discussed before leaving, did your mum get light reactive lenses or anything like that? These are sometimes recommended for people getting problems with glare from cataracts but they are not covered by the NHS (up here you get £4 for a permanent tint only so they're useless for walking about in).

pmlindyloo

Thanks again.

Mum did sign 2 forms so I guess they had it covered.

Optician said that there was very little sight in the left eye.

'No extras' but Mum spent some time choosing the frames (plastic ones) which I was pleased about as she is 91 and still takes an interest in her appearance.

The money isn't a real problem except that £100 equates to £1000 in mum's eyes so haven't mentioned the exact amount and will wait until I see the invoice before I tell her!

She spends very little, as we all treat her, so it won't make a dent in the little savings she has - wish she would spend more, to be honest, but she is a real MSE but uses money comparisons for the 1980s so will rarely spend out on anything as it is too expensive!

nannytone_2

encourage her to have the cataract removed ... it really can be a life changing operation!

i had cataracts in both eyes, and had them removed in march and august 2004 when i was 40.
i couldnt believe the difference it made, especially with the first one to be done.

i can see bugga all now, but i had a few years of much better quality sight than i otherwise would have had

pmlindyloo

nannytone wrote: »

encourage her to have the cataract removed ... it really can be a life changing operation!

i had cataracts in both eyes, and had them removed in march and august 2004 when i was 40.
i couldnt believe the difference it made, especially with the first one to be done.

i can see bugga all now, but i had a few years of much better quality sight than i otherwise would have had

Thanks Nannytone.


She had a cataract removed in the other eye a few years back so she knows that it does wonders.


Unfortunately she has had a very traumatic time during the last 6 months going from someone fairly independent to not being able to get out of bed.


She refuses to be hoisted ( still has an open wound on one leg which is very sore and tender) so that makes going to hospital very difficult.


We are hoping that once the leg is healed she will use the hoist and a wheelchair. Then we will raise the issue again.


Thanks for your concern.