How to use your Eyecare Vouchers

Eyecare Vouchers are a benefit employers must give to employees in addition to their salary.

Using Eyecare Vouchers means you’re never out of pocket – you never have to wait for your employer to reimburse you for an eye test or glasses.

If you regularly use a VDU at work, your employer has an obligation to pay for your annual eye test and, in some cases, for your glasses.

For them, giving you eyecare vouchers is a simple, quick and cost-effective way of meeting their obligation. For you, it’s convenient and means you’re never out of pocket – 96% of optometrists accept our vouchers, and there’s no money involved when you use them.

Under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation 1992 you can ask employers to:

• Pay for eye tests at regular intervals
• Pay for glasses if they are specifically needed for VDU work.

Employers also need to provide employees exposed to certain hazards with free safety spectacles. 

If you regularly use a VDU as part of your work for periods of over one hour – less in some circumstances – you are covered by the regulations.

Although there’s no legal obligation to provide eye tests for occupational drivers many employers are choosing to do so with Driver Eyecare Vouchers.

The Edenred examination voucher of £26.95 can be redeemed for an optical assessment. Edenred Spectacle vouchers come in either £75 or £95, which can be redeemed for bifocal, varifocal or basic lenses. 

The vouchers cover the cost of basic glasses, but if they don’t fully cover the cost of the pair you want, you can still use them and make up the difference.

Eye examination vouchers

Employers are legally obliged to pay for eye tests for employees who use VDUs as part of their work. 

The eye examination voucher covers the full cost of a basic eye and eyesight examination at over 96% of UK opticians.

Spectacle Vouchers

Employers are legally obliged to pay for glasses that employees need specifically for VDU work. 

Spectacle vouchers come in denominations of £55, £75 and £10. The £10 top-up vouchers can be used to cover special prescriptions and the £75 vouchers can be used for bifocal or varifocal lenses.

Safety Spectacle Vouchers

Under health and safety regulations, employers are obliged to provide safety spectacles for employees at risk from certain hazards in the workplace. 

Over 7,500 outlets across the UK accept Eyecare Vouchers including Vision Express, Optical Express and the majority of independent opticians. Please confirm with your optician that they are still accepting Eyecare Vouchers before booking your appointment.

No, under the legislation it is only basic single vision spectacles that will be provided.

A pair of basic single vision lens spectacles.

Box B would be ticked when the prescription is for general use. Box C is when the general use prescription has a particular requirement or change in the prescription for the middle distance range necessary for VDU work.