NHS optical vouchers in 2026: who gets one, what it is worth and how to use it

An NHS optical voucher is a fixed amount the NHS puts towards new glasses or contact lenses. In England it goes to children under 16, to 16 to 18 year olds in full-time education, to people who need very strong lenses, to people on Pension Credit Guarantee Credit or a low Universal Credit award, and to holders of an HC2 certificate. Being over 60 gets you a free sight test, but not a voucher. In 2026 vouchers are worth from £42.40 for simple single-vision glasses to £233.56 for the most complex bifocals.

That is the short answer. The detail matters, because the rules catch many older people out. Plenty of families assume a free eye test means free glasses, and are surprised by the bill.

Who can get an NHS optical voucher in England

You can get a voucher towards glasses or contact lenses if you:

• are under 16
• are aged 16 to 18 and studying full time
• need complex lenses, meaning at least one lens of plus or minus 10 dioptres or more, or a prism-controlled bifocal
• receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or are named in a partner’s award (Savings Credit on its own does not count)
• receive Universal Credit and earned nothing, or no more than £435 after deductions, in your last monthly assessment period (the limit is £935 if your award includes a child element or you have limited capability for work)
• get income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• are named on a valid HC2 certificate from the NHS Low Income Scheme
• are a prisoner on leave from prison

The Universal Credit limits are for a couple’s combined earnings, not each person’s. If you hold an HC3 certificate, which gives partial help, you can still ask for a voucher. The HC3 states how much you have to contribute, and that amount comes off the voucher.

What each voucher is worth in 2026

The voucher you get depends on the type of lens and how strong your prescription is. These are the values in the NHS Business Services Authority’s help with health costs guide that applies from April 2026. They have been unchanged since May 2024.

Two hospital vouchers also exist: £217.58 for hospital-prescribed glasses that fall outside the bands above, and £61.77 per lens for contact lenses prescribed by an NHS hospital. If you are not otherwise entitled but need complex lenses, you get a smaller complex lens voucher of £15.81 for single vision or £40.57 for bifocals. Small supplements are added when a prism or a tint is clinically needed.

Your optometrist works out which band you fall into from your prescription. You do not need to choose.

How to use a voucher

1. Ask for the voucher form (GOS3). You can request it during the sight test or later, when you order the glasses or contact lenses. You can get one for a new or changed prescription, or when your glasses have worn out.
2. Bring proof that you are entitled, such as your benefit award notice or HC2 certificate.
3. Sign the form when you order, to confirm why you are entitled.
4. Pay any difference. If the frames and lenses you choose cost more than the voucher, you pay the rest. If you choose glasses within the voucher value, you pay nothing.

A GOS3 form lasts two years. You still need to be entitled on the day you order. If you paid for glasses when you were entitled to a voucher, you can claim money back up to the voucher value on form HC5(O). You need your receipt and your prescription.

Broken or lost glasses are covered by a separate form, GOS4. Children under 16 can get a repair or replacement voucher. For adults, conditions apply, so ask your optician.

Not on benefits but money is tight? The NHS Low Income Scheme

Many pensioners live on a modest income without getting Pension Credit. The NHS Low Income Scheme is designed for them. It compares your income with your living costs, including rent or mortgage and council tax, and can give you:

• an HC2 certificate, which means full help: free sight tests and a full voucher towards glasses
• an HC3 certificate, which means partial help: a reduced voucher

You cannot get help through the scheme if you have savings or property (other than your home) worth more than £16,000, or £23,250 for someone whose permanent home is a care home. You apply on form HC1, online at nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HC1, by post, or by phoning 0300 123 0849. Care home residents whose fees are partly paid by the council can use the shorter form HC1(SC), which the care home manager can usually provide.

Vouchers and home eye tests

If a parent cannot leave home on their own because of an illness or disability and qualifies for a free NHS sight test, they can have a free NHS home eye test. If they don’t meet the NHS rules, HomeSight’s private home eye test costs £30.

The voucher works the same way at home as in a shop. When a HomeSight patient is entitled to one, it pays for a frame chosen from our NHS-voucher range, fitted with standard single-vision lenses, so there is nothing extra to pay. If you would like varifocals, a designer frame or thinner lenses, you pay the difference. Our optometrists bring more than 200 frames to every visit, and the finished glasses are delivered and fitted at home.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Everything above applies in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own schemes, with their own voucher values and some different rules. In Scotland, for example, everyone who usually lives in the UK gets a free NHS eye examination. If you live outside England, check with your optician or your national NHS website.

Questions people ask

Do over-60s get free glasses on the NHS?

Not because of their age. People aged 60 or over get a free NHS sight test, but they only get a voucher towards glasses if they also get Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, qualify through the Low Income Scheme, or need complex lenses.

Does a voucher cover varifocals?

Varifocals are paid at the bifocal voucher values, from £73.10. Varifocal lenses often cost more than that, so expect to pay a top-up.

Do I have to buy glasses where I had my eyes tested?

No. Your prescription can be taken to any optician, and you can ask for the voucher form when you order your glasses rather than at the test.

How often can I get a new voucher?

When your prescription changes, or when your glasses need replacing through fair wear and tear. Your optometrist will tell you when your next sight test is due.

Want to know what a test costs if you do not qualify? Our guide to how much an eye test costs in the UK compares high-street, NHS and home-visit prices, and our guide to NHS home eye test eligibility explains the two-part rule for home visits.

Sources: NHS Business Services Authority, Help with health costs (HC11), April 2026; NHS, Free NHS eye tests and optical vouchers and NHS voucher values for glasses and lenses. Figures checked 18 October 2026.