Eye test & glasses cost help for 17 year old apprentice on less than min wage

hum_lovely

My 17 year old son earns less than £3 per hour as an apprentice and is due for an eye test and new glasses. He earns less than the minimum wage but the opticians have told me that he will be liable for the full cost of the eye test and glasses he needs, which is likely to be about a weeks wage for him. As he isn't classed as a student he doesn't qualify for any student discounts. It seems unfair given he is on such a low wage.

Doe anyone have any ideas on whether he would be able to get help for the cost of these from anywhere else? His employer does not offer anything towards this either.

Torry_Quine

He need to apply for th low income scheme.

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/nhs-low-income-scheme.aspx

Rodders53

No-one can earn less than the minimum wage... even apprentices have a category... https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

http://www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra/nus-apprentice-extra-card/ may also be of help to get a discount? {Although it costs £11 pa and might only get 20-25% off a pair of specs, and only certain retailers may accept the cards.}

hum_lovely

Rodders53 wrote: »

No-one can earn less than the minimum wage... even apprentices have a category... https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Sorry maybe I should have said less than the minimum wage that he would get at his age if he wasn't an apprentice.

System

Torry_Quine wrote: »

He need to apply for th low income scheme.

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/nhs-low-income-scheme.aspx

I don't believe that apprentices fall within the LIS unless they are claiming some other benefit or qualify in some other way

worried_jim

Tesco do free eye tests from time to time. I get my glasses from -
http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/
last pair cost me £17 delivered.

jackieblack

Eye tests are free at Tesco Opticians and glasses start from £15. http://www.tescoopticians.com/

Boots have an offer on eye test for £10 instead of £25 http://www.boots.com/en/Opticians/Opticians-offers/GBP10-eye-check/


Optical Express doing free eye test + £30 off glasses over £100
http://www.opticalexpress.co.uk/landingpage/lp/eye-test/7/?WT.mc_id=email-uk-15267


http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/free-eye-tests-uk

McKneff

Of course, you, as his parent could help him out......

dippy3103

He can just take his prescription and buy his glasses online. I bought mine from glasses direct and couldn't fault them.

xoAmyox

dippy3103 wrote: »

He can just take his prescription and buy his glasses online. I bought mine from glasses direct and couldn't fault them.

I second this, I've bought glasses online from specky4eyes, glasses direct and googles4u - they've all been great quality (if not better than the in-store ones) and my last order cost me less than £8 per pair including the lenses.

sunnyone

I want to order some glasses on line but my priscription has two lines of details and the sites Ive looked at all have only one lines, has anyone else had this problem?