I have been going back and forth between two opticians, while helping a friend to sort out her new glasses and either the opticians are confused by the NHS voucher system or the system is just plain daft.
My friend had an eye test in October 2012. She was a SAHM with husband earning well over the threshold for benefits, and so she paid for the test herself. A few weeks later her husband left and she now receives IS/CB/CTB/CTC as a lone parent to 2 young children. Her glasses broke a few weeks ago and she went to get a new pair from a different opticians to the one that carried out the test. She was told that she would have to go back to the original opticians to obtain an NHS voucher. We returned to the original place only to be told that they cannot issue one as she was not on benefits at the time. The second opticians' say that she cannot get the glasses without the voucher and they cannot simply issue an NHS voucher as they did not do the eye test, even if she provides proof of her benefit status.
So, the solution is that she has had to book an NHS eye test with Optician 2, even though her current prescription is only a few months old, and provide the same proof of her benefit status. They will carry out the test, check her benefits status, issue her with an NHS voucher and then she get her glasses there. So basically it is the exact same process, but with the addition of a new eye test, which as the old one is only a few months old, just seems daft and a complete waste of taxpayers money.
Does this sound right? I should add that these are both well known high street opticians.
My friend had an eye test in October 2012. She was a SAHM with husband earning well over the threshold for benefits, and so she paid for the test herself. A few weeks later her husband left and she now receives IS/CB/CTB/CTC as a lone parent to 2 young children. Her glasses broke a few weeks ago and she went to get a new pair from a different opticians to the one that carried out the test. She was told that she would have to go back to the original opticians to obtain an NHS voucher. We returned to the original place only to be told that they cannot issue one as she was not on benefits at the time. The second opticians' say that she cannot get the glasses without the voucher and they cannot simply issue an NHS voucher as they did not do the eye test, even if she provides proof of her benefit status.
So, the solution is that she has had to book an NHS eye test with Optician 2, even though her current prescription is only a few months old, and provide the same proof of her benefit status. They will carry out the test, check her benefits status, issue her with an NHS voucher and then she get her glasses there. So basically it is the exact same process, but with the addition of a new eye test, which as the old one is only a few months old, just seems daft and a complete waste of taxpayers money.
Does this sound right? I should add that these are both well known high street opticians.