NHS home eye test eligibility
NHS eligibility for a home (domiciliary) sight test is set by the NHS and is the same across England. We check on your behalf before booking.
You may qualify if you are unable to leave home unaccompanied because of a physical or mental illness or disability. Common examples include people living with dementia, recovering from stroke, with severe mobility impairment, or who are otherwise housebound.
You may also qualify if you live in a residential care home and would be unable to leave the home unaccompanied due to illness or disability.
The final decision rests with the optometrist after a clinical check at the start of the visit. If, on review, the criteria are not met, no NHS fee is charged and we can offer a private visit instead with no obligation.
Who gets a free NHS eye test?
An NHS free eye test is available in England when you meet national NHS eye test entitlement rules. For a funded visit to your address, both parts below must apply — the same criteria we use on our home eye test cost guide.
Two things must both be true.
1. You are entitled to a free NHS sight test. In England this includes people who are:
- aged 60 or over
- diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma
- aged 40 or over with a parent, brother, sister or child who has glaucoma
- registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired
- receiving certain benefits, such as Pension Credit Guarantee Credit or Universal Credit (if you meet the criteria)
- holding a valid NHS HC2 certificate
2. You cannot leave home unaccompanied because of a physical or mental illness or disability. This applies whether you live in your own home or a care home.
If both apply, the NHS pays for the test and the visit. You pay nothing.
Home eye tests for disabled people
NHS domiciliary sight tests exist so people who cannot travel safely to a practice can still have full eye care. A funded home eye test is available when the patient is entitled to an NHS sight test and cannot leave home unaccompanied because of physical or mental illness or disability. That wording is set nationally in England — it is the same in a private home, with family, or in a care home.
Physical disability, severe mobility limits, mental illness and conditions such as dementia can all mean someone cannot leave home unaccompanied. We talk through your situation on the phone before booking and confirm NHS eye test entitlement and housebound rules together. If NHS funding does not apply, we can explain a private home eye test instead, with no obligation.