Request assistance for the blind
Description
Blind assistance 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 have the same status as a blind person.
If you also receive benefits for home care, state blindness allowance, benefits for war-blind and accident-blind persons, or if you live in an inpatient facility (for example, in a nursing home), these benefits can be offset against the blindness allowance.
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, simultaneous receipt of assistance for the blind is not possible.
The amount of the aid to the blind depends on the time and extent of the adjustment of the pensions in the statutory pension insurance. The aid to the blind is adjusted accordingly.
The blind assistance amounts to maximally (conditions: 01.07.2022)
- before the 18th year of life: 403,89 EUR respectively
- from the age of 18: 806.40 EUR
per month.
The costs of the services are borne by the competent social welfare agency. Aid for the blind is only paid to persons who do not have sufficient assets or income of their own.
You can receive assistance for the blind if the following conditions are met:
- Blindness (complete absence of sight) or not only temporary total bilateral acuity of one fiftieth or less
- Proof of the severity of your visual impairment, for example, through
- severely disabled person's identity card with the symbol "Bl" or
- a notice of assessment in accordance with the law on severely handicapped persons,
- ophthalmological findings or a medical certificate
- low income
- low assets
- In addition, certain other persons, such as the spouse, cannot be expected to cover the additional expenses caused by blindness from their own resources.
No deadlines need to be observed. However, it should be noted that the aid to the blind is paid at the earliest from the first of the month in which the application for aid to the blind is submitted.
The processing time of your application depends on various factors. Please contact your competent social welfare institution, which will be able to provide you with more detailed information on the duration of the procedure.
- Objection within one month after notification of the administrative act
- Action before the social court within one month after notification of the notice of objection
State Administration Office
- You should contact your local social welfare agency.
- There you will be advised or you can submit an informal application right away.
- The competent office may ask you to fill out a form and submit additional documents.
- Once all the documents have been submitted, the competent authority will check your entitlement to assistance for the blind on the basis of the information you have provided.
- This includes checking whether and to what extent your income and assets are taken into account.
- After the examination, you will receive a written notice of approval or rejection.
Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS)
04.04.2023
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
