The blind welfare allowance is a supplementary payment that comes under the aegis of my Department and forms part of special services for blind persons under the Blind Persons Act, 1920. Guidelines referring to this allowance were issued to the health boards in 1979. These guidelines stated that persons not maintained in an institution who are in receipt of the maximum blind pension or the social welfare contributory old age pension may be regarded as eligible for the blind welfare allowance at the maximum rate subject to certain conditions.
I understand that health boards take a flexible approach in this regard and pay the allowance using the following criteria: the applicant must be in receipt of a Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs payment, that is, disability allowance, invalidity pension, a blind pension or an old age pension; they must undergo medical assessment for their visual impairment, be able to supply a certificate of visual impairment or be registered with the National Council for the Blind; they must not be maintained in an institution; they must be unemployed.
Applicants must undergo a means test to decide eligibility.
The rates of payment depend on the claimant's family circumstances as follows: (a) supplementary allowance payable in addition to a blind pension: blind pensioner over 18 £24.00 per week; blind couple £48.00 per week; increase for child dependant £3.40 per week; (b) supplementary allowance payable in addition to disability allowance to blind persons over 16 years and under 18 years in respect of: an adult dependant £ 2.85 per week; a child dependant £3.00 per week.
