Skip to main content
Ministry of Social Development | Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora
Studylink | Hoto Akoranga
  • A-Z
  • Forms
  • Go to the Studylink home page
    Home
  • Starting study
  • In study
  • Returning to study
  • Finished studying
  • Home
  • MyStudyLink Login
  • Online Services
    • Your RealMe login
      • Manage your RealMe account
      • Forgotten username or password
    • MyStudyLink
      • What you can do in MyStudyLink
      • Can’t log in to MyStudyLink
    • Apply
      • First-time students
      • Returning application in MyStudyLink
      • Apply in MyStudyLink
      • Help with applying online
      • Information you'll need
      • Help with filling in the online form
      • Documents supporting your application
      • Verifying copies of original documents
      • How to send us your documents
      • Application status in MyStudyLink
      • When do payments start
    • Eligibility test
      • What the test assesses you for
      • Eligibility test disclaimer and privacy information
  • Starting study
    • How StudyLink works
    • Thinking about study
      • What and where to study
      • Your costs while studying
      • How to pay for study
      • Scholarships
      • Moving from benefit to study
      • Information for parents
    • What's available
      • Student Allowance
      • Student Loan
      • Extra help
      • Help for partners
      • On a benefit
      • Studying part-time
      • Studying overseas
      • Coming to NZ to study
    • Apply
    • Student Allowance
    • Student Loan
  • In study
    • Change in circumstances
      • Age changes
      • Address and contact details
      • Bank account
      • Cancel your loan
      • Change course or programme
      • Change papers
      • Children in your care
      • Going overseas
      • Change living costs
      • Relationships
      • Tax code
      • Change education provider
    • Childcare
      • Absent from childcare
      • Change in hours
      • Change in reason you get payment
      • Child moves providers
      • Child no longer in your care
      • Start or stop 20 hours ECE
      • Continuing pre-school childcare
      • Continuing childcare when your child's at school
      • Extending childcare
      • Moving to OSCAR
      • Add a child
      • Stop payments
      • Child stops childcare
      • Study, work or training
      • Teacher only day
    • Debt
      • Pay from overseas
      • Pay from NZ
    • Urgent or unexpected costs
      • Food
      • Accommodation
      • Travel for COVID-19 vaccination
      • Power, gas and water bills or heating
      • Dental treatment
      • Glasses
      • Whiteware (eg, fridge, freezer, washing machine)
      • Car repairs
    • Income
      • Student Allowance
      • Student Loan
      • Childcare
      • Extra help
      • Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
      • Parents income
    • Study details
      • Break between study
      • Change study dates
      • Claim course related costs
      • Drop papers
      • Extending your study
      • Jobseeker Support Student Hardship obligations
      • Not meeting course requirements
      • Pick up papers
      • Student Allowance obligations
      • Student Loan obligations
      • Summer school
      • Unpaid work or research
      • Withdraw
      • Working while studying
  • Returning to study
    • Continue from last semester
    • Took a study break
    • Postgraduate study
    • Returning application
  • Finished studying
    • Help when you finished study
    • What happens to your loan
    • More study
    • Starting work
  • Payments and rates
    • A-Z of payments
      • Student Allowance
      • Student Loan
    • Rates
    • Calculators
  • Forms
  • Glossary
  • About StudyLink
    • Contact us
      • Phone numbers
      • Send evidence
    • News
    • Glossary
    • Our services
      • Appointments
      • Cheap as data
      • Death of a student
      • How StudyLink works
      • About us
    • Agents
    • Complaints
  • About this site
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy, disclaimer and copyright information
    • Online security
    • Site map
  1. Home
  2. In study
  3. Urgent or unexpected costs
  4. Glasses

In study

  • Change in circumstances
  • Childcare
  • Debt
  • Urgent or unexpected costs
    • Food
    • Accommodation
    • Travel for COVID-19 vaccination
    • Power, gas and water bills or heating
    • Dental treatment
    • Glasses
    • Whiteware (eg, fridge, freezer, washing machine)
    • Car repairs
  • Income
  • Study details

Glasses

If you’re on a low income or benefit we may be able to help you with the cost of eye tests and glasses.

Important information

  • You need to come in and see us first before going to the optometrist or optician.
  • You'll have to pay the money back.

You may get help if you:

  • are 16 or over (if you're 16-18 and have a Youth Service provider, contact Youth Services)
  • are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
  • normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here
  • have an immediate and essential need.

It also depends on:

  • how much you and your partner earn
  • any money or assets you and your partner have.

Your income will be assessed either weekly or yearly, depending on the kind of help you qualify for. These income and asset limits usually apply:

Income limits

If you are: Weekly income before tax is less than
Single, 16-17 years $737.86
Single, 18+ years $848
Couple (with or without children) $1,231.72
Sole parent (1 child) $1,029.02
Sole parent (2+ children) $1,084.13

Asset limits

These don't include what you need for day-to-day living, eg your home or your car. They do include money in the bank, or things like a caravan or a second property.

If you are: Your assets are worth less than
single $1,193.21
married, civil union or de facto couple (with or without children) or sole parent $1,988.20

We can pay $280 for:

  • an eye test
  • lenses, including single vision, bifocals or standard progressives
  • prescription sunglasses, if they're part of an in-store special that includes glasses and sunglasses for under $280
  • frames (there are plenty of options to choose from)
  • a fitting service
  • repairs
  • a cleaning cloth and case
  • a 2 year warranty on defective parts.

We have an arrangement with certain optometrists and opticians to provide optical services. We'll provide you with a list of approved suppliers in your area so you can choose which one to go to.

Here's a list of our preferred suppliers for glasses in your region.

Preferred suppliers for glasses on the Work and Income website

If there is no preferred supplier in your area, we may still be able to help. Talk to us about your situation.

High clinical needs

We may be able to pay more than $280 if the optometrist or optician assesses you as having high clinical needs.

We don't cover the cost of lens coatings or glasses specifically for Irlen Syndrome.

Call us and we'll set up an appointment.

How we can help

  • Starting study
  • In study
  • Returning to study
  • Finished studying

Online services

  • Eligibility test
  • MyStudyLink
  • Declare income

About

  • About StudyLink
  • About this site
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy, disclaimer and copyright

Contact us

  • How to contact us
  • Facebook
Go to Ministry of Social Development's website Go to New Zealand Government's website