Hope this info answers your question: People only qualify for an NHS voucher for optical care if they fit one of the following criteria: · Under 16s. · Under 19s in full-time education. · People (or partners of people) on Income Support, Disabled Person's Tax Credit, income-based Job-Seeker's Allowance, or Working Families' Tax Credit. · Holders of an exemption certificate (HC2). · People who need certain complex lenses. Tom wouldn't fit any of these categories (his LAS wages would mean he wouldn't get any of the benefits listed and the prescription has to be seriously complex to qualify for the last one). To get an HC2 you need to be pregnant or have given birth in the previous year or have a medical condition which means you'd need continuous medical care (diabetes for example).