A Prince George man living on a disability income was given a scare when told he might have to wait another nine months before the provincial government would cover the cost of a new pair of glasses.
In the end, Steve Willment learned the Ministry of Social Development will cover the cost but not before enduring a two-week run-around after he was originally told he was eligible for a new pair only once every three years.
It all began about a month ago when he broke one of the arms on his glasses.
"It just kind of went 'tink' and the arm was broken," Willment said. "So I taped them all up and put it on the back burner for a little while."
But two weeks later, "the exact same thing - 'tink' and there goes the other one."
Willment who is 51 years old and suffers from three kinds of arthritis as well as diabetes, emphasized he wasn't roughhousing when the mishaps occurred.
"I was laying on the couch and I turned my head and I must've put a tiny little bit of torque into the frame or something," Willment said.
He went to the optometrist, got his eyes tested and ended up with a new prescription, meaning he would need a whole new pair and not just new frames. But when the optometrist phoned the ministry to confirm coverage, Willment said she was told he was not eligible for another pair until August 2012.
The news put Willment into a state, particularly because driving is his only means of getting around.
"Because I have really bad arthritis I have mobility issues," Willment said. "I can't reliably take the bus, it's not safe for me. As a matter of fact, the last time I took the bus I fell and broke a rib."
Walking is also out of the question because of the icy sidewalks.
It left only one option as far as Willment was concerned.
"Legally, I can't drive without proper eyewear and they refused to pay for their portion of my new glasses, they put me in direct non-compliance with the law because I have to drive - I've got doctor's appointments, I've got food, I've got a 12-year-old son," Willment said.
Willment took to the email and telephone to rectify the situation - making calls and sending messages to anyone he could think of - only to be rebuffed or to have queries left unanswered.
This week Willment resorted to calling The Citizen which, in turn, got hold of the ministry. By the end of the day, Willment said he got a call back saying it had all been straightened out and the government will provide the coverage.
Willment credited the newspaper for the happy ending.
"You guys were the difference," he said.
A ministry spokesman said that while entire new sets are paid for only once every three years if the prescription is unchanged and the frames are not damaged, the government will cover the cost of broken frames and new lenses on an as-needed basis.
"It looks like there was some miscommunication," he said.
Willment said the coverage is good for $250 and he'll have to make up the remaining $300 for such features as progressive bifocals, and scratch resistant and photosensitive lenses.
