Your Rights

What are the benefits of registration?

Summary: Welfare benefits and concessions for people registered as having impaired sight.

• Welfare benefits
• Further Information

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If you are registered severely sight impaired (blind) you are entitled to:

• Blind person's personal income tax allowance
  This is worth £1,730 in 2007-08. It can be transferred to your husband or wife. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs can provide further information on the Blind Persons Allowance. Contact their priority number for claiming the allowance, 0845 366 7887.
• Free NHS sight test (also for anyone aged 60 or over)
  Tell the optician about your registration before the sight test.
• Reduction of 50 per cent on the television licence fee
  Applies if a registered severely sight impaired (blind) person lives in the household. Ring the TV licence helpline on 0870 576 3763.
• Car parking concessions under the Blue Badge Scheme
  The car doesn't need to be yours. Contact your local council's social services department.
• Free postage on items marked Articles for the Blind.

You may also be entitled to:

• Free permanent loan of radios, cassette players and TV sound receivers
  Contact your local council's social services and ask about the British Wireless for the Blind Fund.
• Help with telephone installation charges and line rental
  Contact your local council's social services to ask if you qualify. If your social services department are unable to help you, the charity Telephones for the Blind may be able to assist with line rental charges and / or installation.

If you are registered severely sight impaired (blind) or

sight impaired (partially sighted) you are entitled to:

• The Disabled Person's Railcard
  This gives generally one third off the price of certain rail ticket types for the cardholder and one accompanying adult. Contact your local railway station, or telephone National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 for details of the journeys and tickets to which the card applies.
• Local travel schemes
  Contact your local council for details of travel schemes and concessions in your area, including reduced price travel on local buses.
• Exemption from BT Directory Enquiry charges
  Ring 195 and ask for a PIN number. You can still use the free service if BT is not your telephone company.
• Protection under the Disability Discrimination Act
  Gives rights to people with sight problems who have been treated unfairly. Telephone RNIB for details on 0845 766 9999.

You may also be entitled to:

• Leisure concessions
  Concessions are available to people with disabilities, or people receiving certain benefits, for various leisure and recreational activities. For example, a free ticket for a person accompanying you to participating cinemas if you are registered severely sight impaired (blind) or getting Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance, and reduced price entry to museums and exhibitions.
  Check locally about availability of concessions and proof required with the relevant service provider.

Welfare benefits

If you are registered as severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted), you are not automatically entitled to any welfare benefits, and there is no special benefit or pension for people with a serious sight loss.

However, blind and partially sighted people - subject to age and other circumstances - may be able to claim one or more welfare benefits.

Please contact RNIB Welfare Rights Services on 0845 766 9999 or 020 7388 2525 for advice and for our detailed information on these benefits. Although we cannot guarantee your entitlement, we recommend that you apply for the appropriate benefit.

If you don't claim, you won't get anything!

Attendance Allowance

If you are aged 65 or over, you can claim Attendance Allowance. It is for people who require help, or who need watching over, during the day or the night.

More information on Attendance Allowance.

Disability Living Allowance

If you are under 65, you can get Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This has two components. You may get the care component if you need help or supervision. You can get the mobility component if you need guidance to get about in unfamiliar places.

Contact your local social security office, or ring the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 882 200.

Note : You do not have to be getting help to qualify for Attendance Allowance or DLA. It is the help you need that matters.

More information on Disability Living Allowance.

Pension Credit

If you are aged 60 or over, you can get the guarantee Pension Credit if your weekly income is low enough. This means less than £119.05 if you are single, or £181.71 for couples.

If you are aged 65 or over, you may get the savings Pension Credit if you have modest retirement income or savings. You could get this if your weekly income is less than £166.67 if you are single, or £244.85 if you have a partner.

You could still get Pension Credit if your income is higher than these amounts if either you and / or your partner are a carer, or if you and / or your partner can be counted as ‘severely disabled’. Telephone The Pension Service on 0800 99 1234.

More information on Pension Credit.

Income Support

You can get Income Support if you are under 60 and have a low income. People who work 16 or more hours a week cannot usually get Income Support. Contact your local Jobcentre or social security office, or ring the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00.

More information on Income Support.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

These are means tested benefits to help people on a low income with their rent and their council tax. Contact your local council Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit section.

Note : Attendance Allowance and DLA are ignored as income for the above benefits, and an award may make it more likely that you will qualify for these income-based benefits.

Council Tax disability reduction

You may get a reduction in your council tax bill if you have a room set aside to meet needs related to your disability. For example, to use and store equipment for your communication needs such as a CCTV. The reduction is not automatic. Ask your local council tax section for details or contact RNIB Welfare Rights Services for advice.

More information on Council Tax Benefit.

Exemption from ‘non-dependants’ deductions

You may be exempt from the deductions normally taken from income-based benefits where there are adult non-dependants living in your home. The exemption applies if you are registered severely sight impaired (blind) or get Attendance Allowance or the care component of DLA.

Contact your local council's benefit section to check if you are exempt from the non-dependants deductions in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

Tax Credits

Tax Credits are income-based benefits that can be paid on top of other income including wages and benefits. They are administered by the Inland Revenue.

You may get Working Tax Credit (WTC) to top-up your wages if you work at least 16 hours a week. It includes a disability element if you are registered severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted) and you get DLA or another qualifying benefit.

You may get Child Tax Credit (CTC) if you are responsible for a child. For example you are likely to get CTC if you have one child aged one year or older and your annual income is £57,785 or less.

Your claim is based on gross taxable income for the tax year prior to the year of application. However your Tax Credits award can be reviewed after your claim if your income or other circumstances change. The amount of Tax Credits you get depends on the level of your income.

Ring the Tax Credits Helpline on 0845 300 3900.

More information on Tax Credits.

Incapacity Benefit

Incapacity Benefit can be claimed by severely sight impaired (blind) and sight impaired (partially sighted) people who are unable to work, or while they are seeking work. Contact your local Jobcentre or social security office or ring 0800 88 22 00.

More information on Incapacity Benefit.

Carer's Allowance

If someone such as your partner, a relative or friend spends time looking after you, they may get Carer's Allowance, and / or the carer premium in income-based benefits.

Even if you are blind or partially sighted you may get one or both of these for looking after another person, eg your partner. The person being cared for must be getting either Attendance Allowance or the middle or highest rate care component of DLA. Telephone the Carer's Allowance Unit on 01772 89 96 55.

Important ! Before you or your carer claim Carer's Allowance, contact RNIB Welfare Rights Service (0845 766 9999) to check that you, or the person you are caring for, will not lose money.

More information on Carer’s Allowance.

Health Benefits

If you need ‘complex lenses’ you can get a voucher towards the cost of glasses (check with your optician whether you need complex lenses). If you are unable to leave your home without the help of another person you may be able to get free medical prescriptions.

You can get help with NHS costs, including vouchers towards the costs of glasses and free NHS sight tests, if you receive Income Support, guarantee Pension Credit or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, or if you have a low income.

More information on Health Benefits.

RNIB's Welfare Rights Services provide advice and information on social security and other benefits, social services and sources of financial help. Please telephone the team on 0845 766 9999.

You can also contact the Department for Work and Pensions Benefits Enquiry Line on freephone 0800 88 22 00.

Further Information

RNIB Welfare Rights Service
105 Judd Street
London
WC1H 9NE

Telephone 0845 766 9999 for the price of a local call.
Email brit@rnib.org.uk

Please note that we can only give advice about benefits for people with sight loss and their carers or dependants.

If you use a language other than English, please let us know which language. We will try to arrange a telephone interpreting service.

This information gives general guidance only and is not an authoritative statement of the law.

More information about Social Care Advocacy.

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Content author: brit@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 16/05/2008 17:12