Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to change the age at which people become eligible for free (a) prescriptions and (b) optical care.

Free National Health Service prescriptions and NHS-funded sight tests are available for many. This includes children under the age of 16 years old and those under the age of 19 years old in full time education, people on a low income, and adults aged 60 years old and over. NHS optical vouchers to help with the cost of glasses are also available for children.

There are no plans to change the eligibility for free NHS prescriptions, NHS-funded sight tests or optical vouchers, including eligibility based on age.

Further information about help with optical costs is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/

Further information about help with prescription costs is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/free-nhs-prescriptions