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Am i entitled to free eyecare?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm unemployed but not being paid Jobseeker's Allowance or any other benefits. I am still "signing on" every fortnight though. Does this mean i'm entitled to a free eye test and glasses if i need them?

If not then it's disgusting as i'm actually LESS able to afford them myself than someone who IS claiming Jobseeker's Allowance!!!! I'm still unemployed and not receiving any income. I'm not being paid benefits because i left my job voluntarily - oooh, what a rogue i am. I deserve to be punished and have my free eye tests taken away. :rolleyes:
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You're best seeking advice from the Job Centre or CAB. An eye test costs about 10 quid.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    You're best seeking advice from the Job Centre or CAB. An eye test costs about 10 quid.


    £20 last time i had one, i'm sure they were.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    £20 last time i had one, i'm sure they were.
    But if you go at sale time, they're half price ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    and people are forever doing offers. d&a have free eye test vouchers in the local papers all the time.

    :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hmm, i just hope i don't need new glasses - there won't be free vouchers for them in the paper :grump:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    even tight fisted me can afford new specs- just don't pay stupid specsavers prices for them...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    kaffrin wrote:
    and people are forever doing offers. d&a have free eye test vouchers in the local papers all the time.

    :thumb:


    and in the tesco magazine. :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You should really ask at the JSP, but AFAIK no, you're not entitled to any of the benefits of JSA if you are not actually on JSA. Sorry.

    There's a good reason why you don't get JSA if you voluntarily leave your job though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I also find it odd that eyecare doesn't fall under the NHS. A friend of mine had a health problem discovered by his optician, if the optician hadn't pressed him to get further tests, leading to treatment, he'd be really ill now.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote:
    I also find it odd that eyecare doesn't fall under the NHS. A friend of mine had a health problem discovered by his optician, if the optician hadn't pressed him to get further tests, leading to treatment, he'd be really ill now.
    Where did he have his treatment?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    er? in Kent.lol But I'm not sure if that's what you ment...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    oh, I get it. He was tested in a hospital. But- GPs are diagnosticians (sp?) rather than health treaters for the most part, right? And they still come underNHS

    Was that your point?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote:
    I also find it odd that eyecare doesn't fall under the NHS.

    It does, though.

    If you are poor or a child, the NHS will pay for your eyetest and glasses with single-vision lenses in.

    And as for health issues, the NHS treat. When I had an ulcer on my eyeball, it was an NHS hospital I went to, not Specsavers.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ugh, NHS frames :yuck:

    As far as I remember, I got free eye tests up until I was 18 and left college, then it became about £20 for a test. I was entitled to free NHS lenses and frames, or a voucher to the same amount off frames that I wanted. I think I chose to have shit clothes but good glasses in the end!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote:
    oh, I get it. He was tested in a hospital. But- GPs are diagnosticians (sp?) rather than health treaters for the most part, right? And they still come underNHS

    Was that your point?
    Opticians are the experts at looking in eyes cos they're doing it all day long. GPs - as the name suggests - are generalists and won't be able to pick up subtle changes in eyesight or eyeball pressures etc.

    Opticians still work within the NHS system, but we pay for eye tests in the same way that we pay for NHS prescriptions.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    Opticians still work within the NHS system, but we pay for eye tests in the same way that we pay for NHS prescriptions.

    Righto. But wouldn't it make more sense to have the test free, like a visit to the GP?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote:
    Righto. But wouldn't it make more sense to have the test free, like a visit to the GP?
    More sense in what way?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote:
    Righto. But wouldn't it make more sense to have the test free, like a visit to the GP?

    Not really, vision testing isn't a priority service.

    It works similarly to the dental system, which is fair enough.
    Kentish wrote:
    More sense in what way?

    She means she's too cheap to pay to get her vision tested.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote:
    She means she's too cheap to pay to get her vision tested.
    But happily spend £50 on a night out down the Bigg Market. *sigh*
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The eye test itself isn't expensive, but glasses are. Katralla do you mean you want a free eye test, or free glasses?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't personally WANT anything as such, it just seems odd that a visit to the GP is free (used enough of them Kermit? aw), but an eye test isn't.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    But happily spend £50 on a night out down the Bigg Market. *sigh*

    er. WTF. Are you talking to me?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote:
    er. WTF. Are you talking to me?
    I'm talking to anyone who puts healthcare way down their list of priorities and then whinges that they have to pay £10 for an eye test every two years.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ah right, so not dirested at me then. Glad that's clear.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    I'm talking to anyone who puts healthcare way down their list of priorities and then whinges that they have to pay £10 for an eye test every two years.
    It's a fair point - I think students especially forget that you have to budget for prescriptions, glasses, etc. When the expenses came I was able to cope with them and always cut back on other things but I know a lot of people just put off looking after themselves because they're "too broke". Student loans are designed to pay for living, not a lifestyle.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    More sense in what way?


    Ok, well the visit to the GP is for diagnostics and it's free. You then pay for the prescription or treatment, which is subsidised with exemptions and means testing. If eye healthcare were treated the same way, the diagnosis part (the test) would be free and the treatment part would be subsidised with means testing. This would be fairer in my eyes. (woot, great accidental pun. lol)

    The frames aren't really a problem with or without NHS vouchers, if you hunt around you can get up-to-date stylish ones pretty cheaply- even 'designer'. Although, there may be an issue with higher prescriptions lenses only being able to be held in certain designs of frames.

    Onto treatment- the NHS glasses vouchers are for a fixed amount if you qualify right? Well, this doesn't seem fair. Can't remember who it was on these boards, maybe Illora? but because her eyesight is worse than mine, her lenses cost a LOT more, so while mine would be fully covered by an NHS voucher, hers cost her a packet. Now it's not like she could do anything to make the lenses cheaper- even really basic ones without scratch resistance or anything were hella expensive (I had a bargain search on it and couldn't find anyway for her to get them cheaper). So as it is- the worse your eyesight and argeuable therefore the more you need the specs, the more you pay. A means tested person who pays prescriptions pays 6 quid- regardless of how much that med costs the NHS, whereas the glasses voucher value is fixed below the price of some peoples lenses. So, to (finally) answer your question, if we were receive free tests and pay a fixed amount for filling a lense prescription with the surplus being collected or coughed up by the NHS, it would make more sense to me.

    Before I get 'scrouge' accusations, if fixed prescription charges for lenses were implimented it would cost me more moolah as my lenses are currently cheap. Although, if I had a script for meds/lenses I could get 'over the counter' cheaper than the script price, I would simply buy. And no, I don't know where the money would come from for eyecare to be subsidised in this way. I am merely pointing out what seems to be a discrepancy in NHS health service.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You don't need more than basic single-vision lenses for any defect in vision. If you have really short sight then the lenses might be two miles thick, but so what?

    If you want designer stuff, or superthin lenses, then pay for them. NHS vouchers are for a value anyway, so its not much extra. It might do you out of three packs of cigs, diddums. You're not going to die of short-sightedness.

    You pay to have your teeth checked, and you pay to have your eyes checked. Why? Because the pot is limited, and you aren't going to die if you are short-sighted or need a filling.

    Health problems with eyes are treated free of charge, vision problems do not affect health. When I got an ulcer on my eye I got it treated at eye casualty for free, but I have to pay for my glasses as I don't need them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote:
    Onto treatment- the NHS glasses vouchers are for a fixed amount if you qualify right? Well, this doesn't seem fair. Can't remember who it was on these boards, maybe Illora? but because her eyesight is worse than mine, her lenses cost a LOT more, so while mine would be fully covered by an NHS voucher, hers cost her a packet. Now it's not like she could do anything to make the lenses cheaper- even really basic ones without scratch resistance or anything were hella expensive (I had a bargain search on it and couldn't find anyway for her to get them cheaper). So as it is- the worse your eyesight and argeuable therefore the more you need the specs, the more you pay. A means tested person who pays prescriptions pays 6 quid- regardless of how much that med costs the NHS, whereas the glasses voucher value is fixed below the price of some peoples lenses. So, to (finally) answer your question, if we were receive free tests and pay a fixed amount for filling a lense prescription with the surplus being collected or coughed up by the NHS, it would make more sense to me.
    There are different value vouchers depending on the level of severity of the problem. If you look at an NHS voucher it has a letter on it (A is the lowest level, B is worth slightly more etc) to help compensate for this. If you have really severe vision problems you get free eyecare anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote:
    She means she's too cheap to pay to get her vision tested.

    What The Fuck is your problem Thief? Have no real arguement against what I've said so you have to make something up?- stupid!
    Kermit wrote:
    You don't need more than basic single-vision lenses for any defect in vision. If you have really short sight then the lenses might be two miles thick, but so what?

    If you want designer stuff, or superthin lenses, then pay for them. NHS vouchers are for a value anyway, so its not much extra. It might do you out of three packs of cigs, diddums. You're not going to die of short-sightedness.

    You pay to have your teeth checked, and you pay to have your eyes checked. Why? Because the pot is limited, and you aren't going to die if you are short-sighted or need a filling.

    Health problems with eyes are treated free of charge, vision problems do not affect health. When I got an ulcer on my eye I got it treated at eye casualty for free, but I have to pay for my glasses as I don't need them.

    Is this supposed to be directed at me? The sarcasm and thinly veiled jibes? Is that because you can't find any real objection to my posts so you have to be snide instead?- not clever. In fact you are really stupid! Oh and a thief too!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote:
    What The Fuck is your problem Thief?
    What is he meant to have stolen? :confused:
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