Severaly Sight Impaired

Tedison · 21 October 2018 at 8:51PM

Hi I am just trying to make sence of the current benefits system and hope someone can kindly explain the basics.
My Wife was diagnosed with Glaucoma 5 years ago, with 30% vision loss. For the last 3 years she has worked with a friend cleaning.
We live 10 miles away from the nearest large town, her driving licence was revoked 4 years ago. Initialy when she started work with her friend, my wife travelled by bus to meet up for work. Over the last 18 mnths the direct bus service has been cancelled. If she cannot get a lift she travels to work using 3 buses, having to leave the house at 06:50 to start work at 9am.
Over the last 2 weeks her sight has had 2 Emergency opperations on her eyes to stop further loss ( All sight lost is permanent) She now has Tunnel Vision with 90%+ Loss in both eyes,
Following her Opperation she was given a 4 week certificate not to work, with a further operation probably mid November.
3 Days ago whilst attending a weekly checkup at the hospital she was issued with a certificate ‘Severaly Sight Impaired’ (This is the modern name for Blind) although remember she has some usable sight.
On receiving the 4 week certificate we applied for ESA. Still awaiting letter to confirm if she will get anything.
She has also made a claim for PIP.
My question is how will this ESA pan out? I suspect that she will not be able to continue her self employed work due to travelling by bus at 06:50 on a cold dark winters morning, I suspect she may not be capable of this work.
Will she have to attend the Job center for an interview, or will her ESA continue without further doctors certificates?
I fear that where we live, together with transport issues and the question of what work she is capable of doing is going to be a problem. She has always been a seamstress until her sight failed.
How she can get to the nearest Job center, 10miles away is a problem in itself.
Any help would be gratefully received at these worrying times.

baldelectrician · 21 October 2018 at 8:58PM

Sorry about your problems

I have family members who are blind
Contact RNIB for help on benefits - they helped my son with his DLA form

If your wife is registered blind she is entitled to a Blue Badge (with no PIP paperwork) as long she is on the blind persons register (held by local authority).

We stay in Scotland and my son (22) gets free bus transport (with another person for free), he also gets free trains (with someone helping him on the train for 50% off) as well as free (internal to Scotland) ferries.

There is help out there

GlasweJen · 21 October 2018 at 8:59PM

I don't know the process in England as well as the process in Scotland but I imagine it's similar.

Up here the CV1 form (for sight impairment registration) is filled out and signed by the consultant and the patient. It's witnessed by someone else on the day (usually a nurse in the clinic). The patient doesn't get a copy up here. This form is taken to the consultants secretary who does the necessary to actually register the person sight impaired or severely sight impaired.

This kicks off a process which involves the patient becoming known to the local social services. Part of our form involves knowing about the patients job situation. Social work will get in touch at some point and assess her for workplace adaptions and fill out benefit forms, this service is very hit and miss. Someone from the sensory impairment team should come out to the house to see if she'll benefit from aids to help with daily living tasks, again quality varies by area.

The best thing you can do here and now is take your wife to citizens advice or a local low vision charity to see if they can help with the forms for ESA and PIP. Your wife will need to keep handing in fit notes from the GP until the DWP make an ESA award or a tribunal rule otherwise.

Alice_Holt · 21 October 2018 at 10:18PM

Both PIP and ESA are points-based.
With ESA requiring 15 points for eligibility.

PIP has 2 components - Care and Mobility.
For both it's 8 points for a standard award.

Here are the ESA activities and descriptors: (This also applies to the Universal Credit LCW group).
http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/med2/indexxx.php

And PIP:
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system

For ESA, you would be looking at activity 8 (Navigating). And, Regulation 29 which provides that ESA can be awarded (regardless of points) if being found fit for work would pose a significant risk to yours (or others) health.
http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/making-exception
There isn't a question on the ESA50 form about risk, so be sure to include details in the 'Other Info' box on the ESA50 form.

For PIP having severe sight impairment is likely to give difficulties with many of the daily living activities - preparing and cooking food, dressing, washing and bathing, reading and understanding signs.
The planning and following journeys would, I think apply - needing a person to reliably and safely follow a route of an unfamiliar journey.

As GlasweJen says, see if your local advice agency / CAB can help with the forms.

You will find a fair bit of info online:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

https://www.rnib.org.uk/information-everyday-living-benefits-and-concessions-benefits-people-working-age/employment-and

https://www.rnib.org.uk/information-everyday-living-benefits-and-concessions-benefits-people-working-age/personal

Check if you are in a UC area, this replaces Income Based ESA.
Does your wife have sufficient NI credits in the last 2 years to claim Contribution-based ESA?
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/employment-and-support-allowance-contribution-based

Income-based ESA and UC is means tested and will be based on your joint income:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/employment-and-support-allowance/

Good luck.

GlasweJen · 22 October 2018 at 10:21AM

Oh actually, if you're in England or Wales your wife should inform HMRC of her registration status as blind people have a different tax code known as the blind person's tax allowance.

Tedison · 22 October 2018 at 2:04PM

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. Its the ESA and fit for work that I'm having some trouble getting my head around. The hospital will only issue a certificate for the time her health is at risk. There maybe 2 weeks+ before she has a 2nd operation. During this time she cannot continue her previous self employed cleaning, so will she have to sign on? This is a problem for finding work, what could she apply for? If she does this, then 2 weeks later has the 2nd operation.... Seems the ESA should understand.

pmlindyloo · 22 October 2018 at 2:15PM

I am not sure whether your wife is entitled to contribution based ESA (or new style ESA if in a full service area) or income based.

So, has she paid NI contributions whilst she has been working?

Do you work?

Regardless of whether she is claiming contribution based ESA or income based ESA she will need a fit note for the DWP up until the time she has a work capability assessment and is either found 'unfit for work' or fit for work.

The best way, I think, to approach this is to speak to her doctor and ask for a fit note from him/her.

You do not say if the November operation will restore your wife's sight?

In any case, to claim ESA now she does need fit notes.

Tedison · 22 October 2018 at 2:28PM

Her sight will not return. Her Glaucoma has damaged 99% of optic nerve. She has paid NI for 15/16, 16/17 and 17/18.
I am working (Self Employed) but on low income.

pmlindyloo · 22 October 2018 at 2:59PM

Are you currently claiming tax credits?

calcotti · 22 October 2018 at 3:25PM

Tedison wrote: »

Her sight will not return. Her Glaucoma has damaged 99% of optic nerve. She has paid NI for 15/16, 16/17 and 17/18.
I am working (Self Employed) but on low income.

In that case she will be entitled to contribution based ESA known as 'new style' ESA in a Universal Credit area. This will pay £73.10/week week initially rising to £110.75/week from the 14th week if she his found to have Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity (LCWRA).

One thing that is not clear in your initial post is that you say that she has applied for ESA but also appear to say that she is still working at the moment (apologies if I have misread it).

Tedison · 22 October 2018 at 4:52PM

Yes we are Jointly claiming Working Tax Credits.
No she has not worked since 27th Sept. It may sound strange but Glaucoma usually effects peripheral vision first, and the sufferer will often not be aware of their loss. The 1st indication is that they bump into or trip over objects. This is then thought of as not looking where they are going! My wife was made aware 5 years ago. Unfortunately our local hospital did not keep adequate checks on her (Cancelled her appointments). When she finally got her field vision checked and eye pressure taken the damage had been done. Luckily a locum eye doctor saw her and referred her immediately to Leicester Hospital.
Since her initial Diagnosis 5 years ago she had to change her occupation. She decided to go self employed. (Nobody would employ her)

Severaly Sight Impaired

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