We'll do our best to get back to you as soon as possible. Please do not be worried about contacting us. We will consider all approaches sympathetically and treat all information with absolute discretion and confidentiality. If you are not sure about what to do, please make a preliminary telephone call to discuss your needs before filling in any forms. We can then give you advice about the best way to proceed.

Who is eligible?
‍If you are an optometrist, a widow or widower of an optometrist or a retired optometrist and either you or your partner have been registered as a optometrist with the General Optical Council you are eligible to apply for assistance. We can also help any member of your family who is dependent on you for financial support. Pre-registration trainees are also eligible to apply for support.

Assessment of Financial Circumstances
Grants are assessed individually, based on income compared to essential expenses. Evidence of hardship or potential hardship is required, but income need not be extremely low. All savings are considered for one-off or short-term grants, whereas regular grants may disregard some savings. We might recommend referral to our debt adviser for financial management or budgeting support. Note: we cannot help with debts owed to family or friends.

What Can Grants Be Given For?
Grants can cover various circumstances. Examples below illustrate possible support, but applications for other specific needs are welcome.

Grants may be:
- One-off payments
- Fixed-term monthly support (e.g., four months)
- Regular monthly grants, reviewed annually. Continuation requires a new application.

Specific One-Off Items
Grants may cover essential one-off costs such as household appliances, winter fuel bills, car or minor home repairs, GOC registration fees, or return-to-practice training.

Supporting Mental or Physical Quality of Life
Financial support may be provided for mental or physical well-being, including respite care, counselling, therapy, convalescence, home assistance after illness or injury, or disability aids/adaptations.

Living on a Low Income
Regular grants may help individuals on very low incomes struggling to avoid debt, including widowed or retired optometrists or working-age optometrists unable to work due to illness or disability. We may contribute to care home fees if a shortfall is evidenced and offer temporary assistance to pre-registration trainees facing financial hardship, especially those with young dependents.