We offer grants to blind and partially sighted people to help them live independently in their homes. This page tells you who can apply, what we give grants for and how to start applying.
Who can receive a grant from RNIB?
You, or the person you are applying on behalf of, must:
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be an individual living in the UK (we do not give grants to organisations or people living outside the UK)
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be registered as blind or partially sighted (unless you are applying on behalf of a child with sight loss aged eight or under)
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receive a means-tested benefit and one that is not a tax credit (Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, for example, are acceptable)
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have been refused funding from your local authority for the items you need.
What if I have had a grant from you in the past?
Because we want to help as many different people as possible, we ask you to wait three years from the date we last awarded you a grant before applying again. If you are unsure of when you last had a grant from us, call us on 0303 123 9999 and we can let you know when you can next apply.
Can I apply on behalf of my child, a relative, or a client I support?
Yes, absolutely, as long as you give us details of the person who needs the grant on the form.
Most of our applications come from professionals helping people with a sight problem and, indeed, all our applications need a supporting statement from a valid supporting officer. A supporting officer can be a social worker, occupational therapist, health care visitor, or a worker from your local society for the blind or Citizens Advice Bureau office. It cannot be your GP, a friend or family member though.
If you're applying on behalf of your child, our rule of receiving a means-tested benefit will apply to you. We don't give grants for educational purposes, but elsewhere on our website you can read about funding at college, the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) that's available to meet the extra course costs students can face because of their sight loss, and other funding available to blind or partially sighted students.
What we give grants for and for how much
We can only award grants for:
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carpets and flooring (for health and safety reasons)
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cookers and microwaves (including talking microwaves)
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debts for essential services
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essential adaptations, repairs or redecoration (for health and safety)
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fridges and freezers
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furniture
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talking kitchen or labelling equipment (such as RNIB's PenFriend)
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washing machines, including washer dryers.
Unfortunately, because of our limited funds, we are not able to give grants for these commonly requested items:
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access technology (including CCTVs, computer equipment, tablets, computer software, magnifiers, mobile phones and scanners)
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bedding
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clothing
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holidays.
If you are interested in a grant for music equipment, lessons, study or activities, read our information about music awards and funding.
We can only give a maximum of £400, so if the total amount you ask for is more than this you must find the rest of the funding elsewhere before you apply to us for the remainder.
Do you provide emergency grants?
No, unfortunately we are not able to give emergency grants. We take up to three weeks to make a decision on new applications and a further two weeks to make payment if you are successful.
How do I apply for a grant or get more information?
You can download our application form to get more details, and then complete and send this to us:
You can also contact our Information Resource Team for more information:
Information Resource Team
RNIB
105 Judd Street
London
WC1H 9NE
Telephone 0303 123 9999
Email InfoResourceTeam@rnib.org.uk
We welcome grant applications at any time of the year. We are closed for calls between Christmas and New Year. We record calls to our grants service for quality and training purposes.
Other help we can give you with your finances
Read about the help and support with money we can give you, our debt advice project, our tax advice service, the benefits and concessions you may be entitled to as a blind or partially sighted person, as well as other organisations who might be able to give you financial assistance. You can also call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk to speak to one of our specialist advisers.