§ Mr. Terry DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will now make a statement on the arrangements which have been made to reimburse those people who may have been required to pay too much for spectacles or dental treatment as a result of incorrect instructions having been issued to the staff in the agency benefits unit.
§ Mr. Freeman[holding answer 2 May 1989]: Starting in the week beginning 15 May, the agency benefits unit of the Department of Social Security will reassess claims from those who, between 11 April and 4 November 1988, were assessed as having to make a contribution towards relevant costs and had non-dependents living with them.
Where the reassessment shows entitlement to more help, the unit will send claimants a special claim form which will ask for details of charges paid and other relevant costs incurred. Where people paid too much it will be refunded.
A special arrangement for optical vouchers is necessary to avoid disproportionate administrative costs. Those who obtained glasses will be paid the difference between the mistakenly assessed contribution and the correct one. This will mean that everyone will get at least their proper entitlement or—generally in the case of the cheaper lens prescriptions—more than that.