{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-optical-charges-and-payments-regulations-2013/regulation-12",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-optical-charges-and-payments-regulations-2013/regulation-12.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2013/461",
  "legislation_title": "The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 2013",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-optical-charges-and-payments-regulations-2013",
  "path": "regulation/12",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "12",
  "heading": "Use of vouchers for supply of optical appliances",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraphs (4), (5) and (6), a person to whom a voucher, completed in accordance with regulation 9, 10 or 11, has been issued may present it to a supplier who supplies or is to supply an optical appliance to them, provided that the arrangements for supply are made within two years of the date on which the voucher was issued.\n(2) A supplier may accept the voucher in substitution for payment by the person of an amount equal to its redemption value, being the whole or part of the cost incurred for the supply of an optical appliance.\n(3) A voucher relating to glasses may be accepted in connection with the supply of contact lenses.\n(4) Subject to regulation 26(1A), before presenting the voucher to the supplier the person must sign ...—\n(a) a declaration to the effect that they are an eligible person, indicating the grounds for such eligibility; and\n(b) an undertaking to the effect that, if they are unable to show that they are an eligible person, they will pay to NHS England an amount equal to the voucher's redemption value.\n(5) A person who is an eligible person only by virtue of regulation 8(2)(d) or by virtue of their resources being treated in accordance with regulation 8(3)(b) or (c) as being less than their requirements must—\n(a) before presenting the voucher to the supplier, apply to the Secretary of State for a notice of entitlement; and\n(b) on the same occasion as presenting the supplier with a voucher in accordance with paragraph (1), show a current notice of entitlement to the supplier and permit that supplier to copy such details as may be required for the purpose of regulation 14(2)(c)(iii).\n(6) When the person presents the voucher—\n(a) the supplier must ask that person to produce satisfactory evidence that they are an eligible person, unless the supplier, in cases other than where the person is an eligible person by virtue of regulation 8(2)(c) or (d), already has satisfactory evidence of entitlement; and\n(b) if the person is requested to produce satisfactory evidence, but does not do so, the supplier must record the fact on the voucher.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in reg. 12(4) substituted (19.12.2024) by The National Health Service (Ophthalmic Services and Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/1250), regs. 1(2), 4(5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in reg. 12(4) omitted (1.1.2024) by virtue of The National Health Service (Ophthalmic Services and Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/848), regs. 1(2), 4(6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in Regulations substituted (6.11.2023) by The Health and Care Act 2022 (Further Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1071), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/461/regulation/12",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T01:02:37.087843+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}