Meeting the costs of blindness
It is very expensive to be visually impaired. Significant extra costs are incurred in meeting daily living needs, keeping the house clean, cooking, doing the gardening, washing, staying in touch with other people, shopping and getting around outside the home. Research carried out for RNIB by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York strongly suggests that current disability benefits (Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance) only go a small way towards meeting these extra costs . Other research has found that 85 per cent of older visually impaired people are surviving on less that the average weekly income for pensioners in the UK.

The rates of these benefits have never been based upon a careful analysis of real costs, rather upon what Governments have considered is affordable. RNIB is calling for an official review of the adequacy of these benefits.

A further concern is that, according to the Government's own figures, four out of every ten disabled people who are entitled to these additional cost benefits are not receiving them. RNIB is calling for a concerted campaign by Government, local authorities and voluntary organisations to tackle the low take-up rate.

RNIB is concerned that the Government's review of the eligibility criteria for these benefits does not give proper recognition to the information, communication and mobility needs of visually impaired people. A complex system is being devised which we fear could lead to many visually impaired people finding it harder to qualify. RNIB demands that any new system should be built around recognition of the high costs of communication, mobility and other aspects of daily living for blind and partially sighted people.

RNIB further believes that anyone registered blind or partially sighted should have automatic access to extra cost benefits. This would slice through a vast amount of bureaucracy, lead to huge cost savings, relieve an already disadvantaged group of the terrible stress of the claims process and ensure they get help more quickly.

Finally, we want a new Government to making lifting all disabled people out of poverty a top priority. Other changes required to achieve this will be:

• An extension of the winter fuel payment to disabled people getting disability living allowance.
  
• Increase incapacity benefit to a realistic level and then annually in line with earnings.
  
• Amend the disabled persons tax credit so that it is linked to earnings but not subject to a household means-test. Change eligibility rules so that anyone who is disabled and on a low wage can qualify. Abolish the 16 hours rule.