Who can get free glasses and contact lenses in Spain?
Spain's Ministry of Health has pledged to include glasses and contact lenses in its package of social security benefits, but when exactly the measure will be implemented and who can benefit from it remains unclear.
At the end of January Spain's new Health Minister, Mónica García, pledged that the government would include free glasses and contact lenses as part of its social security benefits. The aim of this new visual health measure, which makes up part of a broader package, García said, is so that "people will not have to dip into their pockets when they need help."
However, it is unclear when it will be implemented and who exactly could benefit. So far the Spanish government has made vague statements about the policy being carried out "throughout the legislature", so sometime within the next four to five years but the exact date is not yet known. Ministry of Health sources explained to Spanish news outlet Newtral.es that "for the moment there is no specific plan on the table."
Who can get free glasses and contact lenses in Spain?
As with a potential start date for the scheme, the exact details on who will be able to benefit from free glasses and contact lenses is also unclear.
In a draft document signed by the government coalition partners, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialists (PSOE) and far-left party Sumar, the plan is for "a specific programme of direct aid for the purchase of glasses and contact lenses for children under 18 years of age for families with fewer resources".
Though vague, this seems to suggest that glasses and contact lenses will be free for children and poorer families, likely with some kind of income threshold or means tested aid available for families who meet the income criteria, or have several children, care for disabled family members, and single mothers, as many of Spain's state benefits do.
However, according to the 'Libro Blanco de la Visión' study by Visión y Vida, in 2023 a staggering seven out of ten people (70.6 percent) in Spain depended on glasses or contact lenses in their daily lives. That is to say, if the measure was expanded and made universal it could potentially benefit up to 30 million people in Spain.
However, figures from Spanish Federation of Optical Sector Associations (FEDAO) show that more than 6 million people in Spain need glasses or contact lenses but their economic situation prevents them regularly accessing them, so the true number of potential beneficiaries will likely be closer to 6 million rather than 30 million.
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At the end of January Spain's new Health Minister, Mónica García, pledged that the government would include free glasses and contact lenses as part of its social security benefits. The aim of this new visual health measure, which makes up part of a broader package, García said, is so that "people will not have to dip into their pockets when they need help."
However, it is unclear when it will be implemented and who exactly could benefit. So far the Spanish government has made vague statements about the policy being carried out "throughout the legislature", so sometime within the next four to five years but the exact date is not yet known. Ministry of Health sources explained to Spanish news outlet Newtral.es that "for the moment there is no specific plan on the table."
Who can get free glasses and contact lenses in Spain?
As with a potential start date for the scheme, the exact details on who will be able to benefit from free glasses and contact lenses is also unclear.
In a draft document signed by the government coalition partners, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialists (PSOE) and far-left party Sumar, the plan is for "a specific programme of direct aid for the purchase of glasses and contact lenses for children under 18 years of age for families with fewer resources".
Though vague, this seems to suggest that glasses and contact lenses will be free for children and poorer families, likely with some kind of income threshold or means tested aid available for families who meet the income criteria, or have several children, care for disabled family members, and single mothers, as many of Spain's state benefits do.
However, according to the 'Libro Blanco de la Visión' study by Visión y Vida, in 2023 a staggering seven out of ten people (70.6 percent) in Spain depended on glasses or contact lenses in their daily lives. That is to say, if the measure was expanded and made universal it could potentially benefit up to 30 million people in Spain.
However, figures from Spanish Federation of Optical Sector Associations (FEDAO) show that more than 6 million people in Spain need glasses or contact lenses but their economic situation prevents them regularly accessing them, so the true number of potential beneficiaries will likely be closer to 6 million rather than 30 million.
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