Dear Mr May
Continued access to sight tests and optical vouchers for all people passported to Universal Credit in Northern Ireland
Thank you for your response dated 20 November 2023 to our recent letter regarding automatic passporting of health costs for individuals in receipt of Universal Credit and our concerns that people at most need are being prevented from accessing essential primary care optometry services.
We recognise that making the required legislative amendments has been delayed due to a number of significant factors, and welcome your acknowledgement of the need to improve the current interim measure that has been set up. However, we would like to emphasise that the existing interim measure of completing the HC1 form is a significant barrier to accessing NHS eye care.
HC1 is a 22 page form and its length will be off-putting to many members of the community who need to complete it, particularly those who have low levels of literacy (one in five adults in Northern Ireland). Once filled in, it needs to be printed (if completed digitally) and sent to a Jobs & Benefits office, extending the time taken to complete the process and receive the entitled benefit.
The digital version of HC1 requires both internet access and a significant level of digital skills to complete. Unfortunately, individuals on Universal Credit are very likely to be the most digitally excluded in Northern Ireland. 15% of the population in Northern Ireland do not have access to the internet. Almost one in five people aged 16 and over have no digital skills, with a higher proportion of those in the most deprived areas having no digital skills compared to the least deprived. Furthermore, households in the lowest income bracket are three times more likely to have no printer.
Our members report that patients are attending for their eye examinations without knowing about the new passporting requirements and are unable to pay for an eye examination in the interim. This means they are having to wait longer for an eye examination, which increases their risk of poor vision or even avoidable blindness, and impacts patient safety and outcomes. The requirement to complete an HC1 form is a barrier that is not required in other parts of the UK and we urge you to work with the Department for Communities to improve this interim solution as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely