Spectacles

[Dave2002]

Easier said than done, actually; he'd have to insist on being billed for some and sending the money back for others, all of which arrangements would cost the state to administer!

I think you have to apply for the bus pass. There's no obligstion to apply.

[jayne lee wilson]

I habitually wear dark glasses. Saves me a fortune in painkillers!

[amateur51]

Easier said than done, actually; he'd have to insist on being billed for some and sending the money back for others, all of which arrangements would cost the state to administer!

As I understand it, you have to apply for each of the benefits you mentioned. Don't bother & there's no problem

[Paul Sherratt]

>>>my optician has the very latest gear,
Going back to my question about fees, how do you think these various pieces of very expensive kit are paid for ?

[ahinton]

As I understand it, you have to apply for each of the benefits you mentioned. Don't bother & there's no problem

When I attend the optician or the doctor (the latter of whom I've fortunately had to do quite rarely of late), I am not charged respectively for my eye test or prescription for the sole reason that I am ancient; I do not "apply" for those "benefits" but I do receive them nonetheless, as do multi-millionaires who share the misfortune of my age. The same applies to the winter fuel allowance, for which I did not apply and I imagine that there are other such examples although I can't think of any right now. Bus passes are a different matter, of course (and I neither possess nor have reason to possess one of those). David-G's right about the means-test cost saving, of course, but I'm not sure that this entirely undermines the validity of my point.

[amateur51]

When I attend the optician or the doctor (the latter of whom I've fortunately had to do quite rarely of late), I am not charged respectively for my eye test or prescription for the sole reason that I am ancient; I do not "apply" for those "benefits" but I do receive them nonetheless, as do multi-millionaires who share the misfortune of my age. The same applies to the winter fuel allowance, for which I did not apply and I imagine that there are other such examples although I can't think of any right now. Bus passes are a different matter, of course (and I neither possess nor have reason to possess one of those). David-G's right about the means-test cost saving, of course, but I'm not sure that this entirely undermines the validity of my point.

My apologies, ahinton I'd not realised that you are "ancient" and thus get free prescriptions. I genuinely thought that you have to apply initially for your fuel allowance.

Your friend could, of course, arrange for his/her unwanted/unneeded benefits (where cash is involved) to be donated to a charity of his/her choice

[ahinton]

My apologies, ahinton I'd not realised that you are "ancient" and thus get free prescriptions. I genuinely thought that you have to apply initially for your fuel allowance.

Accepted! I don't know if one is supposed to apply in writing for the fuel allowance but, despite it not even occurring to me to do so, I nevertheless received a letter advising me of my entitlement to it and assuring me that I would receive a cheque in due course. I didn't want a cheque because the chances of it going astray in the mail are very high and I'd only have to compound that risk by re-mailing it to my bank as I have no branch of it anywhere near me, so I gave them my bank details and requested a direct transfer to my account, which I got (and as, presumably by some oversight, DWP doesn't even seem to have lost or misused those details since, I daresay I'll get another one soon).

Your friend could, of course, arrange for his/her unwanted/unneeded benefits (where cash is involved) to be donated to a charity of his/her choice

Of course, but then the government has still had to pay to give them to him and he might then forward them to a charity not approved by government! Ah, well...

[mangerton]

My apologies, ahinton I'd not realised that you are "ancient" and thus get free prescriptions. I genuinely thought that you have to apply initially for your fuel allowance.

Disclaimer: "Free" here means "Free at the point of use".

We all in Scotland get free prescriptions and free eye tests - no application required. Those over 60 can get a free bus pass if they choose to apply for it. For the first year application has to be made for the fuel allowance, thereafter it is sent automatically. It is now paid by bank transfer, as are most benefits.

[Anna]

Prescriptions are free in Wales but eye tests only free for under 16s, over 60s, diabetics, close relative with glaucoma, and those who need complex lenses, etc., etc., and complex lens wearers also get NHS vouchers towards the cost of the spectacles. Do the complex lens wearers in England who have posted here not get any financial help with the cost?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Do the complex lens wearers in England who have posted here not get any financial help with the cost?

Alas, no, Anna; we are a very backward nation requiring assistance from the likes of Aneurin Bevan to demonstrate altruism!


... not there there are many "like" Bevan!

[ahinton]

Prescriptions are free in Wales but eye tests only free for under 16s, over 60s, diabetics, close relative with glaucoma, and those who need complex lenses, etc., etc., and complex lens wearers also get NHS vouchers towards the cost of the spectacles. Do the complex lens wearers in England who have posted here not get any financial help with the cost?

I've no idea but I doubt it very much; like the other issues mentioned above, it's never occurred to me to ask but, frankly, I don't really see why I should, since it's hardly the next taxpayer's fault that I need complex lenses. In any case, I don't think that my optician does any other NHS work besides the tests that are free at the point of use for certain people, so even if that were possible, i'd not only have no idea how to apply for them or what my level of entitlement to them might be but I'd presumably have also to take my business to a different optician. As it happens, I didn't even know that the NHS sight test was free for those over 60 until I asked for an invoice following a sight test that I had the day after I reached that age and was politely refused and told why!

[MrGongGong]

We all in Scotland get free prescriptions and free eye tests -

Until you jettison the rest of the UK I would guess ?

But please don't , (even though it seems like a good plan) as you will condemn the rest of us to the Eton boys for ever

[mangerton]

Until you jettison the rest of the UK I would guess ?

But please don't , (even though it seems like a good plan) as you will condemn the rest of us to the Eton boys for ever

This could open up a whole can of worms, which I don't really want to do. As Prof Joad used to say, "It all depends...." in this case, on whose set of accounts you look at. Some say that Scotland will be in the grubber the minute we pull out of the union, others say Scotland puts in more than it gets out.

I see your point about the Eton boys, but I do hope you wouldn't deny us the chance of ceasing to be governed by them. Given that, as you say, the toerags will have a much better chance of winning elections without Scotland, it seems rather perverse of them to be so keen to hang on to us!

[ahinton]

This could open up a whole can of worms, which I don't really want to do. As Prof Joad used to say, "It all depends...." in this case, on whose set of accounts you look at. Some say that Scotland will be in the grubber the minute we pull out of the union, others say Scotland puts in more than it gets out.

I see your point about the Eton boys, but I do hope you wouldn't deny us the chance of ceasing to be governed by them. Given that, as you say, the toerags will have a much better chance of winning elections without Scotland, it seems rather perverse of them to be so keen to hang on to us!

Given that anyone can apply to go to Eton if his/her parents or someone else can afford the fees or a scholarship can be obtained and given that Eton does not in principle bar the children of non-Conservative politicians or supporters from attending, it would appear that the risk of government (at least in part) by old Etonians is ever-present one regardless of the label of the party in power, so wouldn't the only way to avoid this risk be either for all voters to be discouraged successfully from voting for anyone who had attended Eton or for Eton to be closed altogether? Would a government of old Harrovians seem better to you? - or one comprising a majority of ex-Roedean girls or Cheltenham ladies?

[mangerton]

Given that anyone can apply to go to Eton if his/her parents or someone else can afford the fees or a scholarship can be obtained and given that Eton does not in principle bar the children of non-Conservative politicians or supporters from attending, it would appear that the risk of government (at least in part) by old Etonians is ever-present one regardless of the label of the party in power, so wouldn't the only way to avoid this risk be either for all voters to be discouraged successfully from voting for anyone who had attended Eton or for Eton to be closed altogether? Would a government of old Harrovians seem better to you? - or one comprising a majority of ex-Roedean girls or Cheltenham ladies?

I think they'd be equally dreadful! And a well known Scottish public school didn't do too well in producing the penultimate labour PM. It just seems to me, and I suspect many others, that after a brief flirtation with Head Teeth and thatch - neither very successful - the tories have returned to their self-perpetuating oligarchical system of coming up with prime ministers. That is something, imho, without which we could well do.