Campaigns
Increasing income for blind and partially sighted people
Summary: One of RNIB's priority campaigns is to increase income to cover the additional costs faced by blind and sighted people.
Why is this a priority?
There is clear evidence that living with a sight problem brings a range of additional costs. These can include adaptations to the home and domestic appliances, additional costs for food and heat, costs of support for cleaning and gardening, and the high cost of access technology and training for using CCTVs, computers or mobile phones.
RNIB also wants to end the age discrimination within the Disability Living Allowance.
We are campaign to:
- ensure those who are registered blind are eligible for the higher rate mobility component of DLA
- make the mobility component of DLA available to all blind and partially sighted people.
Current campaigns
Taken for a ride is our campaign to stop blind people being excluded from the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
The Government has announced its proposals for the overhaul of Incapacity Benefit, and for helping people with disabilities into work from 2008.
The Welfare Reform Bill had its first major debate in Parliament on 24 July 2006 (Second Reading in the House of Commons), where MPs generally welcomed the government’s aspiration of getting a million more disabled people into work
"If you lose your sight after your 65th birthday you are no longer eligible to claim Disability Living Allowance. This is outdated and discriminatory." Support the Mobilise Campaign to end the age discrimination within the benefit system.
Further information about your rights.
Past campaigns
Information about the Euro: An introduction to the euro and how to distinguish euro currency.
Get involved
There are many ways you can get involved. Each campaign has information about the ways that you can take part. From writing to your MP, to helping us spread the word, there is something for everyone.
Do you have a story to tell? Personal experiences are a very effective way of getting our message across. Contact us if you think your story could help our campaigning work.
Our campaign toolkit has further information and advice for people wanting to campaign on our behalf.
Content author: campaign@rnib.org.uk
Last updated: 05/06/2008 16:11
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Your stories
Jenny's story - Jenny Burgess volunteered for a disability support group run by people with physical disabilities. She was the only staff member with a sight problem. “I depended on a colleague with physical disabilities to give me a lift to work. I have far greater mobility problems than most people with physical disabilities who can drive a car, yet receive less benefit - it’s unfair and unjust.” Join our campaign to make the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance fair - taken for a ride.
