Campaign for a fairer welfare and benefits system
Help RNIB campaign for a welfare and benefits system that understands sight loss, treats people with dignity and provides timely, accurate decisions.
People with sight loss face additional costs throughout their lives – including higher transport costs, assistive technology and support at home.
Disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) can be a vital lifeline, covering extra costs and supporting those who need it most.
When benefit assessments go wrong, the impact can be severe. Many blind and partially sighted people tell us the process is stressful, confusing and fails to take proper account of how sight loss affects daily life.
People with sight loss are denied vital benefits
We regularly hear from blind and partially sighted people who have experienced:
- assessments carried out by assessors without knowledge of sight loss
- decisions that underestimate the real, day-to-day impact of sight loss
- delays in the processing and outcome of claims
- having to challenge decisions, often to appeal stage, which can take many months, if not years
- inaccurate use of informal observations during assessments.
Too many people are forced to appeal incorrect decisions. For those supported by RNIB’s Eye Care Advice Service, the vast majority of appeals are successful – showing that something is fundamentally wrong with the initial decision-making process.
RNIB is calling for a fairer welfare system that is informed by lived experience, delivers accurate decisions first time and properly understands the impact of sight loss.
We want a system that reduces stress, errors and unnecessary appeals and re-assessments for blind and partially sighted people.
Campaigning against benefit cuts
In summer 2025, thanks to sustained campaigning by blind and partially sighted people and allies across the disability sector, the UK Government dropped plans to tighten PIP eligibility criteria.
Thousands of RNIB supporters wrote to their MPs ahead of key parliamentary votes which ultimately resulted in the climbdown, helping protect vital support for people with sight loss through PIP.
However, we were disappointed that changes to Universal Credit did go ahead from April 2026 for people newly assessed as having limited capability for work and work related activity.
The rate of the Universal Credit health element for most new claimants has been halved and frozen, leaving recipients £3,000 a year worse off compared to claimants who were awarded this element before April.
RNIB is engaging closely with the government’s ongoing review of PIP to ensure blind and partially sighted people are at the heart of shaping a system that works.
In May 2026, RNIB and partners across the Vision Partnership submitted joint evidence to the Timms Review of PIP, drawing on research and the lived experiences of blind and partially sighted people. The submission highlights the vital role PIP plays in supporting independence and covering the extra costs of sight loss, while setting out clear recommendations to improve the fairness, accessibility and accuracy of the assessment process. If you’d like to read the submission in full, you can contact us at [email protected] or via the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999.
Get advice and support on money and benefits
If you’re blind or partially sighted and need help with benefits, RNIB can offer advice and information. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999, or visit our advice pages to check which benefits you may be entitled to.
Cost of living and welfare
The ongoing rise in the cost of living has made the consequences of an unfit welfare system even more severe. Rising prices can hit blind and partially sighted people harder because of the extra costs associated with sight loss.
Without adequate, reliable benefits, many people struggle to afford essentials and maintain independence. You can find practical support and advice on our dedicated cost of living page.