How equal eye care for universal credit claimants in Northern Ireland was secured

Within days of raising the issue, I received a response from the political party’s health spokesperson explaining that when UC was rolled out nationwide in 2017, Stormont was in a state of collapse, preventing them from legislating the necessary changes to maintain eye care entitlements for legacy benefits like Income Support.

Discussing the situation with Kellie Armstrong MLA, we learnt that she was aware of the situation, and she had been raising it with the Government without success for many years. I was dismayed and wanted to raise it too. Next I asked my MP to write a letter to The Permanent Secretary at the Dept of Health. The reply offered no change.

Frustrated, I decided to write to all Assembly politicians in the constituency in all parties. While I got supportive replies from everyone, there was no actual progress.

Ultimately, six years on from UC introduction, the responsibility for the eyecare update now lay somewhere between the Department of Health and the Department of Communities because there was both a health and a benefits element to the entitlement. But, with no sole department responsible, the legislative update landed in civil service quicksand, where enquiries sink without trace.

How was it that people eligible for UC in all areas of the UK were able to access eye care free of charge, but not in Northern Ireland, I thought.

With no sole department responsible, the legislative update landed in civil service quicksand, where enquiries sink without trace

RNIB Northern Ireland

Someone who received one of my letters was Robbie Butler MLA. He chaired an All-Party Group on Visual Impairment (APGVI) at Stormont and asked me to appear before it to put the case. I recruited chair of Optometry Northern Ireland, Jill Campbell, and General Optical Council member, William Stockdale, to support me and appear before the all party group too.

I knew that together we had a powerful argument for regularisation. We just wanted UC claimants in Northern Ireland to get the same eye care benefits as everyone else.

The day came and the three of us stood and stated our case in Parliament Buildings. William presented statistics and pointed out that money was already allocated in the Budget for this. This was well received by all political parties present. And while Stormont was again collapsed at that time, MLAs on the APGVI panel felt that this unequitable access to eye care was the result of a simple oversight that could be fixed on the first day parliament was restored. We left excited and hopeful… but the fix didn’t materialise.

Deflated but not ready to give up, I decided to harness the positive feedback we had received from the APGVI for some social media and press work, and I resolved to keep the pressure on.

I asked colleagues to raise these issues. I contacted local news and radio. I asked affected patients and claimants to be interviewed for media. I asked a journalist friend for advice, and he put me in contact with the editor of the Belfast Telegraph, which went on to produce several double page editorials highlighting the issue, which really raised public pressure. At the same time, I appeared on a number of BBC consumer programmes, and didn’t turn any invitation down. I was interviewed alongside visually impaired politician Andy Allen MLA by Radio 4’s In Touch programme. Plus, Optometry Today published a critical analysis of Department of Health’s own figures highlighting the reduced uptake of eye care entitlement since this error occurred.

I had support from the AOP, the RNIB, The College of Optometrists, and local ophthalmologists, who all wrote to the relevant Ministers and Permanent Secretaries. The opinions of these bodies really helped.

This is a change that will make a difference to the eye care of 169,000 UC claimants and patients. With much help and support, I am proud to say that I facilitated this

In Autumn 2024, myself and representatives from Optometry Northern Ireland were invited back to the APGVI for a meeting at which they were due to have a Department of Health civil servant appear. My Optometry Northern Ireland colleague travelled 90 miles for this, but the civil servant was a no show. Everyone was frustrated.

In November 2024, a civil servant and a support team did appear before the next APGVI meeting and before questioning even began they announced that they were going to implement a fix within a six-month timetable. They admitted they had been in the wrong, that the seven-year delay was inexcusable, and that a public consultation on the change was required. This was a win.

I lobbied the profession, the optical bodies and everyone relevant to respond to this consultation. Nine months later, in September 2025, the civil servant stood in front of Stormont’s health committee to explain that with regards to UC Northern Ireland would be brought in line with the rest of the UK. While disappointingly there was no mention of the consultation results and no costings were given either, the committee voted to regularise the situation. The regularised scheme was launched in December 2025.

This is a change that will make a difference to the eye care of 169,000 UC claimants and patients. With much help and support, I am proud to say that I facilitated this.

The new automatic entitlement makes life so much easier for UC patients, as well as optical reception staff managing clinics and being face to face with eligible patients.

In 2026 I’ll continue to attend Stormont’s APGVI and I’ll work with the RNIB and Optometry Northern Ireland to highlight relevant issues when I can. For example, did you know that children’s NHS vouchers cannot be used toward myopia management spectacles in Northern Ireland like they can in the UK? So watch this space…