Can You Claim Benefits If You Are Blind In One Eye?
By
HuutiMoney
This blog post aims to answer the question of whether you can claim benefits if you are blind in one eye. Since the condition affects your health, everyday life as well as income, we will explore how your situation makes you eligible for disability and income-based benefits and the application process.
Can You Claim Benefits If You Are Blind In One Eye?
Yes, you may be able to claim some benefits if you are blind in one eye. You may also be able to get support through charities and organisations if you are blind in one eye and on a low income.
However, the answer to this question is not as straightforward as it might seem. To qualify for welfare benefits in the UK, you must meet a certain set of criteria. This includes meeting the definition of blindness, which is defined as being “unable to see anything at all with one eye, or seeing less than 5% of the normal visual field”.
If you do not meet this definition of blindness, then you cannot claim welfare benefits. However, there may be other forms of assistance available to you, such as disability benefits or grants from local councils. It is important to speak to an expert about your specific situation to find out what assistance is available to you.
If you are registered as blind or partially sighted, you may be eligible for a range of benefits from the government. These benefits include welfare benefits and disability benefits.
Welfare benefits are available to those who are unable to work because of their blindness. Disability benefits are available to those who are assessed as having a long-term disability that affects their ability to work.
These include the following:
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Blind Person’s Allowance
- Universal Credit
In addition to this, a Disability Premium will be added to your payments if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
How Do You Know Which Benefits To Apply For If You Are Blind In One Eye?
To know which benefits apply to your situation and qualify you for payments, you can use an online benefits calculator.
In the meanwhile, below is a brief description of some benefits that may be helpful while you prepare for your claim:
- Payments through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are intended to help claimants with the extra costs they incur as a result of their condition (partial sightedness in this case).
- If the claimant is a pensioner, they can qualify for Attendance Allowance to meet the additional expenses related to their partial sightedness.
- Employment and Support Allowance is a benefit aimed at those people who are of working age but are restricted from work either due to a disability or an illness. Since income-related ESA is being replaced with Universal Credit, you will have to apply for the latter for a new claim.
- If you claim an Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support or Pension Credit you may also be able to get a Council Tax discount with a reduction on your annual bill.
- A Blind Person’s Allowance is an extra amount of tax-free allowance for those who are legally blind. It is added to your Personal Allowance before taxes are deducted from your income.
- Individuals who are on a low income can seek support through Pension Credit to top up their state retirement pension.
- If you have a child who is blind in one eye and they are younger than 16 years of age, you can claim DLA to meet the additional cost of raising and supervising them.
- You can also claim Disability Living Allowance and additional premiums on your Child Tax Credit payments if they are registered blind. For adults, DLA is being replaced with PIP and will its payments be covered within PIP.
How Do You Claim Disability Benefits If You Are Blind In One Eye?
To claim disability benefits if you are blind in one eye, you will first need to fill out (or get assistance in filling out) the Certificate of Vision Impairment for people who are sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind). This certificate will first be used to register you with the local council office for your eye condition.
This is a process that can take up to four weeks, and you will need to provide evidence of your sight loss. In addition to the Certificate of Vision Impairment, you can also get a letter from your optician or ophthalmologist.
Based on the medical details reported by your ophthalmologist, your condition will be classified as one of the following:
- sight impaired
- severely sight impaired
You will also need this form as supportive evidence when you apply for benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions.
If you qualify for Disability Benefits, you may be able to claim the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). To claim DLA, you must be under state pension age, blind, or partially sighted. You must also have a certificate from an eye specialist confirming your blindness.
You can either apply for DLA using the DLA1 Child (ALT) claim form online or call the Disability Living Allowance helpline at 0800 121 4600 and ask for a printed form. Once you’ve filled out the form and added the relevant supportive evidence, you can post it to Freepost DWP DLA Child.
To claim PIP, you must be over 16 and have difficulty carrying out daily activities, such as washing or dressing. You may also be able to claim PIP if you can’t leave home without help, or if you have to use a wheelchair or special equipment. You can claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by contacting the Disability Service Centre or calling on 0800 917 2222.
If someone needs help or support for at least six months due to a health condition or disability such as partial sightedness you can claim Attendance Allowance. You can claim Attendance Allowance by filling out the Attendance Allowance claim form online or in writing and sending it to Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance via post. However, recipients of PIP or DLA cannot claim Attendance Allowance.
You can apply for Universal Credit for your partial sightedness. There is an additional amount that comes under limited capability for work-related activities that can be claimed for individuals who are unable to seek work due to a disability or health condition.
If you are registered with your local council as blind or severely sight impaired, you are eligible for Blind Person’s Allowance. This is a weekly payment that helps you to meet the additional costs of being blind or severely sight impaired. You can claim this allowance by calling the HMRC at 0300 200 3301.
What Other Support Can You Claim If You Are Blind In One Eye?
If you are registered as blind or partially sighted, you can find support in the following ways:
- a reduction in the TV licence fee
- help with NHS costs
- help with tax allowances
- reduced fees on public transport with the Disabled Person’s Railcard
- parking concessions under the Blue Badge scheme
You may also be eligible for grants from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (the UK’s leading charity for people with vision loss) for technology to help you live independently. This includes the following:
- talking phones, smartphones, tablets and e-readers
- talking landline telephones or landlines with big buttons
- software for computer accessibility
- braille displays and notetakers
- tv video magnifiers
- smart home devices and accessories
- wearable technology including health and fitness devices
- voice recorders and dictaphones
- talking microwaves, talking scales and talking measuring jugs
- talking watches and clocks
You can search for independent charities and Disability Grants online or use the Turn2us Grants Search to find additional support for your condition.
Conclusion:
In the UK, people who are blind in one eye can claim welfare benefits as long as they can prove that they are unable to work because of their disability. For this, there are a number of different benefits that people who are blind in one eye can apply for.
FAQs: Can You Claim Benefits If You Are Blind In One Eye?
Can you claim PIP if you are blind in one eye?
Yes, you can claim PIP if you are blind in one eye and your condition affects your daily life and ability to move around on your own.
What is being blind in one eye called?
If someone is blind in one eye, they are said to have Monocular Vision. This means that they are only using one eye.
Can I claim benefits for being partially sighted?
Yes, you can claim benefits for being partially sighted but you must register yourself (regarding your condition) with your local council office first. You may be able to claim Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Blind Person’s Tax Allowance for your partial sightedness.
How much of your vision do you lose if you go blind in one eye?
Contrary to popular belief, you lose about 30% of your vision (and not 50%) if you go blind in one eye.
Do blind people get a free TV licence?
No, blind people do not get a free TV licence but they get a 50% discount on the fee if they are blind or live with someone who is blind.
References:
Blind Person’s Allowance: Eligibility – GOV.UK
Grants from other organisations | RNIB
Blindness and vision loss – NHS
Registered blind (or ceased within last 6 months) – entitled