Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many free eyesight tests have been given to asylum seekers since 5 July 2024.

The National Health Service is a residency-based system, which means that people who do not live here on a lawful, settled basis must contribute to the cost of their care. However, some of the most vulnerable people arriving in the United Kingdom, including refugees and asylum seekers, do not pay for NHS treatment.

Asylum seekers who are receiving support from the Home Office under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will automatically receive a HC2 certificate for full help with health costs. From the data available it is not possible to determine the total number, or cost of, sight tests or optical vouchers provided to asylum seekers, as eligibility to NHS services and to free means-tested services is not based on immigration status. Immigration status is therefore not recorded when services are provided.

Asylum seekers are entitled to free new glasses or contact lenses in the same way as other residents meeting the means-test criteria. Further information is available at the following link:

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

The Home Office and its contractors work closely with the NHS, local authorities, and non-governmental organisations to ensure that people can access the health care and support they need.