Apply for allowance for the blind
You can apply for allowance for the blind if you are blind or have a similarly severe visual impairment.
If you meet the eligibility requirement for receiving blindness benefit, the amount of the benefit depends on whether or not you live in an inpatient facility or in a special form of housing (integration assistance).
If you live in Lower Saxony outside of an inpatient facility or special form of housing, the allowance for the blind is 410 euros per month. Certain benefits, in particular long-term care insurance benefits, are partially credited to the allowance for the blind. In such cases, the abovementioned blind allowance would be reduced.
If you live in an inpatient facility or special form of housing, the allowance for the blind is 205 euros per month.
You can decide for yourself how to use the blind money.
Process flow
After your application has been submitted, the competent authority will check whether you meet the requirements for receiving blind money.
If documents or information are missing for the examination of the application, the competent authority will request them from you in addition.
If you meet the requirements for receiving blind money, you will receive a notification of the amount of the blind allowance to which you are entitled. You will then receive the allowance for the blind on a monthly basis. Proof of use is not required.
If you do not meet the requirement for receiving blind money, you will receive a negative decision.
Who should I contact?
The responsibility lies with the district and the independent city in which you have your residence.
Requirements
- You must have had the mark Bl (blind) detected by a procedure for determining the disability (severely disabled person's card).
- You must have your habitual residence in Lower Saxony
or
- if you live in an inpatient facility or a special form of residence within Germany, your habitual residence must have been in Lower Saxony before you were admitted there.
- The reason for your blindness must not be related to military and military service or vaccination
- There must be no deprivation of liberty measures against you.
Which documents are required?
- an application must be submitted
- Severely disabled person's id card or assessment notice with mark Bl
- Documents relating to third-party benefits that are to be credited to the allowance for the blind (e.B long-term care insurance benefits).
- Certificate of a legal residence permit, provided that you have neither German nationality nor the nationality of an EU country
What are the fees?
There are no fees.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
The allowance for the blind is paid at the earliest from the first of the month in which the application for allowance for the blind is made.
Processing duration
The processing time depends in particular on the completeness of the information and the submission of the evidence required for the processing of the application.
Applications / forms
It is possible to apply for the State Allowance for the Blind at the same time as the application for the determination of severely disabled status according to the Social Code - Ninth Book (SGB IX).
Appeal
- Contradiction
- Complaint
What else should I know?
Information on the State Allowance for the Blind can be found on the websites of the Lower Saxony State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Family.
It is possible to apply for the allowance for the blind at the same time as the application for the determination of severely disabled status according to the Social Code - Ninth Book (SGB IX) (severely disabled person's card).
Further benefits for the blind can be granted within the framework of assistance for the blind in accordance with the Twelfth Book of the Social Code (SGB XII) or from the Landesblindenfonds.
Blind and severely visually impaired people from the former administrative district of Braunschweig can receive support from the Herzog-Wilhelm-Blindenstiftung.
Lower Saxony State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Family
Comments
Although an informal application is possible, you will then need the completed application form.
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Technically approved by
Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Gender Equality
