HC1 and contact lenses

amiehall

Does anyone know how an HC1 works with a regular contact lens subscription?

I understand how it works in terms of getting an NHS voucher for a free eye test and glasses, but can you set it towards ongoing contact lens costs?

I expect to be entitled to help with healthcare costs in mid June after I graduate, I was wondering if it's worth waiting to get my lenses until then or does the voucher only give you one month's worth so it's not worth waiting at all?

My eyesight is a bit odd in that I just have shocking vision in one eye that I've ignored for about 10 years lol so waiting isn't really a major issue. I can find vouchers for a free eye test.

AprilLady

Unfortunately you can't use the voucher towards contact lenses as the government doesn't consider them to be necessary. I think they're seen more as a cosmetic/accessory type thing - that's what I've always been told!
As far as I'm aware, you only get one voucher every 2 years, so once you've used the voucher towards glasses you usually have to wait until your next eye test before you get another one.
I found that signing up to a monthly direct debit scheme for contact lenses was cheaper for me as I have to get the more expensive toric lenses, so depending on your prescription and how often you wear lenses, that might be worth looking into.

Tombola591

I don't wear disposable contact lenses so it's not an ongoing monthly or daily expense but the last time I had a new prescription, I was able to choose between glasses or contact lenses for the voucher.

Not sure if it's different for income-related vouchers. I get a complex vision voucher (terrible eyesight!) and it's not means tested. Not that the voucher's worth much for me - it's only about £13 or £14! All helps though.

Of course my optician might have got it wrong. I didn't use the voucher for my contacts because they're much cheaper than glasses with my eyesight.

amiehall

It's just that the form says all over it that you can use it for help with "glasses and contact lenses" but I was confused as to how the lens support would work as it isn't a one-off.

I've used monthlys before and think that's what I want now. You can get payment plans for about £5 a month so I should probably just suck it up. Glasses give me a sort of sea-sick feeling so they're not really a solution to the problem. I was just hoping I could take the £30 voucher or whatever that I could spend on glasses and set it towards my contact lens costs. I only need one eye so it would cover my costs for about a year...

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I regularly use my voucher to pay for contact lenses. Whatever the value of the voucher is I just get it deducted from the cost of the lenses.

You could double check with your optician.

Tombola591

I thought that was right.... that you can use the voucher how you want - either glasses or contacts.

Check with the optician but I'm guessing that if you have a voucher for £30 then you just use that towards the overall cost of your monthly contacts. So you pay anything over £30.

Btw, I get that sea-sick feeling with glasses too! The last optician I saw just told me I needed to get used to the new prescription but it's never as good as when I wear contacts - although it does get a bit better.

As my eyesight is so bad, I have glasses as a back-up and to rest my eyes in the evening and at weekends.