Apply for assistance for the blind
Assistance for the blind is a social welfare benefit for blind people. This lump-sum cash benefit is intended to compensate for additional financial expenses incurred as a result of blindness.
You are eligible to apply if you are blind or equivalent to a blind person.
If you also receive home care benefits, state blind allowance, benefits for war and accident blind people or if you live in an inpatient facility (for example in a nursing home), these can be credited to the blind assistance.
If you receive assistance for care due to blindness outside of an inpatient facility or if you receive a cash amount as a social welfare benefit, it is not possible to receive assistance for the blind at the same time.
The amount of assistance for the blind depends on the time and extent of the adjustment of the pensions in the statutory pension insurance. Assistance for the blind will be adjusted accordingly.
The maximum amount of assistance for the blind is (as of 01.07.2023)
- before the age of 18: EUR 421.61 or
- from the age of 18: 841,77 EUR
per month.
The cost of the benefits is borne by the competent social welfare institution. Assistance for the blind is only provided to people who do not have sufficient assets or income of their own.
Process flow
- You should contact the local social welfare institution.
- There you will be advised or can submit an informal application right away.
- The competent authority may ask you to fill out a form and submit further documents.
- Once all documents have been submitted, the competent authority will check your entitlement to assistance for the blind on the basis of your information.
- This also includes checking whether and to what extent your income and assets will be credited.
- After the examination, you will receive a written letter of approval or rejection.
Requirements
You can receive assistance for the blind if the following conditions are met:
- Blindness (complete absence of eyesight) or, not only temporarily, a total binocular sharpness of no more than one-fiftieth
- Proof of the severity of your visual impairment, for example by
- Severely disabled person's pass with the mark "Bl" or
- Assessment notice in accordance with the law on severely disabled persons,
- ophthalmological findings or a medical certificate
- low income
- low net worth
- In addition, certain other persons, such as the spouse, cannot be expected to pay the additional expenses caused by blindness from their own resources.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
There are no deadlines to be observed. It should be noted, however, that assistance for the blind is paid at the earliest from the first of the month in which the application for assistance for the blind is submitted.
Processing duration
The processing time of your application depends on various factors. Please contact your competent social welfare institution, which can provide you with more detailed information on the duration of the procedure.
Appeal
- Objection within one month of notification of the administrative act
- Action before the Social Court within one month of notification of the notice of objection
Technically approved by
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
Professionally released on
04.04.2023
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
