Blind Welfare Allowance

Rules

You may qualify for Blind Welfare Allowance, if you are:

• Getting Blind Pension from the Department of Social Protection

Or

• Getting an income maintenance payment from the Department of Social Protection or an equivalent type social security payment from another country and you are registered with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) or have a certificate of visual impairment from an ophthalmic surgeon

Or

• Have an income below the combined Blind Pension rate and Blind Welfare Allowance rate, and you are registered with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland or have a certificate of visual impairment from an ophthalmic surgeon

Residential care

You cannot get Blind Welfare Allowance if you are in a long-term residential care facility. However, if you are admitted into a residential care facility you can keep your Blind Welfare Allowance for a maximum of 8 continuous weeks in any 12 month period.

Registration for blind and visually impaired people

The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) operates a system of registration for blind and visually impaired people. To qualify for registration with the NCBI, you must have "best vision equal to or less than 6/60 in the better eye or if the field of vision is limited, the widest diameter of vision subtending an angle of not greater than 20 degrees" (Certificate of Visual Acuity).