Son Or Daughter With Vision Problems? Your Child’s Glasses Could Be Free

The cost of an eye test and a new pair of glasses can be too much for some kiwi families.

But if your child is 15 and under, and you have a community services card, then the NZ government would like to step in and help.

The Ministry of Health Spectacles Subsidy can help with:

• The cost of your child’s eye examination or vision test
• The cost of your child’s glasses (frames and lenses)

The subsidy can also cover repairs to existing frames and lenses.

The fine print

• The subsidy can contribute up to $287.50 (including GST) towards the items above
• The subsidy resets itself every 12 months (handy if your child’s eyes are changing quickly)
• If needed, the subsidy is available for all children within your family

To be eligible, you must meet the following two criteria

1. Your child must be 15 years and under
2. You or your child must have a a current community services card or a high use health card

How it works

1. Book an eye test with a registered assessor for this subsidy (we are one such assessor)
2. We’ll help you complete the paperwork when your child comes in for the eye test
3. You’ll only need to pay if you spend more than $287.50 in total (see example below)

For example

• The cost of a child’s eye exam with us is $55
• We have frame and lense combo’s for children starting from $149
• So the total cost ($204 in this case) would be completely covered by the spectacle subsidy (or you can choose to spend more and pay the amount over and above the $287.50 limit)

Would you like to access this spectacles subsidy for your child?

The first step is to book an appointment with us.

Or for more information about the subsidy, contact us or call 578 6413.

Our $149 frame + lens combo is part of our ‘eye-deal’ range, featuring stainless or plastic frames, along with hard-coated plastic lenses.