Blind friend cant get benefit!

fellakel

My friend is renting a place with his wife, he cannot work due to been registered blind she is a freelance school teacher (i.e. gets work when she can). They had a "benefits review" which said they earned too much money to have the rent paid for them or the council tax. They have a low household income and basically have been borrowing money to pay the rent! They have been to Citizens Advice who have solved nothing, so I thought I would start my own crusade to help him out; now as I know nothing about this sort of thing, I thought I would ask he ever increasing MSE population.
My thank you button awaits!!

p.s. I am off to work in a bit so may not be able to answer any questions until tonight, but any info in the interim will dearly help.

thanks
Wayne

Hapless_2

Does he get Disability Living Allowance? If not he should apply.
Now the difficulty with DLA is the forms. not the I have x but the forms have to be filled in with the day to day problems and risks that a disability presents to the applicant, e.g. crossing the road in an unknown place, going up and down stairs, raised kerbs etc.
If he doesn't get this then he or his wife should apply asap and get some help with the form from the RNIB. This would add premiums on his housing benefit.
DLA is paid regardless of income.

jolly_rodger_2

Hello I am also registered blind and in the past I have been given advice from action for blind people, Welfare rights Dept. I suggest your friend gets in touch with them. There is a FREE phone number but I can’t remember it so here is the Web link.

http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/byTag.html?q=Welfare+Rights
I hope this helps

Aliss

In my experience it is actually easier for blind people who are used to being blind and have adapted to it to find a job than, say, deaf people or people with speech disabilities as a lot of jobs rely on verbal communication.

I know a few blind people who work in jobs like telesales. There is some computer use involved but there is something called Access to Work that will give grants to the employer for special equipment to enable you to do your job.

Of course if he has recently become blind it will take time to adjust and there's other things to deal with before you get into job-hunting. I just mentioned this since being registered blind does not actually preclude you from working (no offence intended by the way, wasn't entirely sure by what you meant by "CANNOT work AS registered blind").

He should certainly be getting DLA. The key thing with filling in the forms is not to assume the person dealing with your claim has any medical knowledge. You really do need to spell out all the problems you have in great detail. As someone has already said the RNIB can help with this.

Lastly, I know that some "officials" assume that if you are freelance you choose when to work. I don't know the legal line the DWP takes on this but when your friends meet people to talk about this they should emphasise that the wife takes up every job she is offered (if she does!) I know someone who was assumed to pick and choose jobs just because he used the word "freelance" whereas he was taking everything he could get.

If the wife can get a full-time job that would also entitle them to tax credits.

Hope that helps, let me know if I can help further. I'm not an expert but have had personal and working experiece of various disabilities.

RNIB helpline: 0845 766 9999. Sorry I can't find a freephone number but do try the one already suggested by Jolly Rodger as well.

mclaren_2

If he does not have DLA - he should apply asap. Tell him to go to see a WRO, and they will fill out the forms for him.

If he earns more money than allowed then he wont get HB, IS, IB, etc... but will still get DLA. DLA is not means tested which means no matter how much he earns, he will still get it.

One thing to remember - is blind people, do NOT want sympothy, nor do they want to accept help. If you're blind, you want to have as normal an active life as possible and have independance

seven-day-weekend

agree, don't use t the word 'freelance', say she is a supply teacher and takes any work that is offered!

However, whatever job she takes, some benefits like Housing Benfit and Council tax benefit are based on income and savings and if you have too much of either you won't get the benefit. DLA as mentioned is not means-tesated and neither is Incpacity Benefit, but you have had to have worked and paid enough NI contributions to get IB.

Why do they think their income is too high for means-tested benefits? What evidence have the couple given as to their income?

This link may help:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/council_tax_benefit.asp