Sight loss & money
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UK personal-finance entitlements for blind and partially sighted people — Blind Person's Allowance, CVI registration, NHS optical vouchers and PIP for sight loss. Medically reviewed by a consultant ophthalmic surgeon.
- Sight loss & money
Blind Person's Allowance — extra UK tax-free income
Blind Person's Allowance is an additional tax-free income allowance of £3,130 in 2025/26 added on top of the £12,570 Personal Allowance. To claim, a person in England or Wales must be registered as severely sight impaired (blind) with their local council; in Scotland or Northern Ireland they must be unable to do work for which eyesight is essential and have a certificate or medical evidence to that effect. Unused allowance can be transferred to a spouse or civil partner and claims can be backdated up to four tax years.
- Sight loss & money
Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) and registration explained
A Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI), or BP1 in Scotland and A655 in Northern Ireland, is the medical document a consultant ophthalmologist completes to certify someone as either Sight Impaired (partially sighted) or Severely Sight Impaired (blind). The council then offers registration. Registration is voluntary but unlocks Blind Person's Allowance, the Disabled Person's Railcard, council tax disability reduction, free NHS prescriptions in some cases, and the local authority's Visual Impairment social-care assessment.
- Sight loss & money
NHS optical vouchers — free eye tests, sight tests and help with glasses
NHS sight tests are free in Scotland and Wales for every resident. In England and Northern Ireland a sight test is only free for the under-16s, full-time students under 19, people aged 60+, those receiving qualifying benefits (Income Support, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Pension Credit Guarantee, Universal Credit with the relevant income test), holders of an HC2 or valid HC3 certificate, registered Sight Impaired or Severely Sight Impaired, glaucoma sufferers and certain at-risk groups. NHS optical vouchers help with the cost of glasses or contact lenses for the same eligible groups; values are set by prescription complexity and reviewed each April by the NHS Business Services Authority.
- Sight loss & money
PIP for sight loss — claiming Personal Independence Payment with a visual impairment
PIP is paid in two parts. Daily Living (£73.90 standard / £110.40 enhanced in 2025/26) is awarded where sight loss creates difficulty with activities such as reading, communicating verbally, engaging socially, or managing medication. Mobility (£29.20 standard / £77.05 enhanced) is awarded where sight loss affects planning and following a journey, or moving around safely. An enhanced rate on both components — common where someone is registered Severely Sight Impaired — is worth £187.45 a week (£9,747.40 a year) in 2025/26 and opens entitlement to a Motability vehicle, Blue Badge (most cases) and full Carer's Allowance for an informal carer.