Voucher towards new glasses.

paulos44

Hi all.....
i am in a situation that i just cant get my head around regards new glasses/NHS voucher.
Basically,i was awarded ESA start of August....im on it till at least the end of the year. As i felt my eyesight was deteriorating with my current glasses,i decided to go for a free eye test at Tesco on 19th August,and indeed, my prescription had changed from 14 months previous.
The optician said i could claim a voucher towards new glasses depending on which version of ESA i was on.I didnt have a clue so phoned benefits on the spot. They explained that as i was on Contribution-based ESA, i would have to apply for a HC2 voucher by filling in a HC1 form, which i duly had in the post the same day.
I received the HC2 certificate a few days later, with a valid-from date of 24 August 2015.
To my horror, the optician would not sanction a voucher as the date on the HC2 was 5 days after my eye test date.....its worth over £60 which is a massive amount when i am on benefit.
Its as if he is saying that my eyes have gone back to normal during those 5 days, and now i dont need new glasses. I just cannot get my head around this....surely the important thing is that the HC2 is valid when i actually order and pay for new glasses.
I am at my wits end and still using my old glasses....i have no choice.
Any ideas folks ?

Browntoa

Get another eye test elsewhere ?

paulos44

Do you think i can do that ? Are eye test records not kept on national computers so that every optician in the country will know i had one a few weeks ago ?
The last thing i want is to get fined by the NHS.........even though the 2 previous eye tests have,in effect, been paid for. The last one was a free promotion by Tesco, available to everyone.

paulos44

HC2 issuing department said they cant backdate the certificate to when i was awarded ESA.....what a surprise....and they said there is NOTHING i can do to claim the £60+ voucher.....

paulos44

Someone at Asda Opticians....where i want to get new glasses from.... said that seeing as my last 2 eye tests were paid for, i can now have another FREE eye test on the NHS, AND get a voucher.....dont know who to believe....

p00hsticks

paulos44 wrote: »

Do you think i can do that ? Are eye test records not kept on national computers so that every optician in the country will know i had one a few weeks ago ?
The last thing i want is to get fined by the NHS.........even though the 2 previous eye tests have,in effect, been paid for. The last one was a free promotion by Tesco, available to everyone.

Your optician from your previous one should have given you a copy of your prescription so that you could take it elsewhere to actually purchase your glasses. If they didn't , ask them for one.

paulos44

p00.......could you please read my first posting again.
The prescription is not the issue here.....i have that. The problem is getting the voucher towards the cost of some new glasses.

gardenia101

p00hsticks wrote: »

Your optician from your previous one should have given you a copy of your prescription so that you could take it elsewhere to actually purchase your glasses. If they didn't , ask them for one.

paulos44 wrote: »

p00.......could you please read my first posting again.
The prescription is not the issue here.....i have that. The problem is getting the voucher towards the cost of some new glasses.

What p00hsticks means (I think) is that you can take the prescription from your first eye test to a different opticians, who can then make up glasses to that prescription without having to do another eye test themselves. You can then use your HC2 card to claim the cost of the voucher.

Just make sure the new optician is happy to do this - some may insist of doing a new eye test & I doubt you'll be eligible for another free NHS eye test for a year from the previous NHS test.

Don't forget that although the the voucher will cover the cost of the lenses, it may not cover the cost of the frames, so make sure you check this too.

paulos44

I have been told that i CANNOT use the HC2 as it is dated 5 days after the eye test.....

paulos44

And that was from an NHS helpline that i contacted.......the situation is absolutely ridiculous.

paulos44

Also, i havent had any free NHS eye tests for as long as i can remember.