A quarter of blind and partially sighted people miss out on their disability benefits, according to new report

More than one in four people who are blind and partially sighted miss-out on the disability benefits they are entitled to, according to a new report published by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

The research, performed by Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Social Policy on behalf of the RNIB, estimates that 83,000 people in the UK are not receiving the disability benefits to which they are entitled to due to their sight loss.

The UK benefit uptake among blind and partially sighted people report, focused on disability-related benefits including the personal independence payment (PIP), the disability living allowance and the attendance allowance.

Coinciding with the release of the report, on Friday (19 April) during a speech on welfare, prime minister Rishi Sunak said he would be launching a consultation on the PIP. The statement was made a part of a wider announcement, during which the Government said it would look at whether cash payments to people with mental health conditions could be replaced by treatment or access to services. 

The report detailed how both applications being refused and issues with the submission process are key factors in what it labelled a “substantial deficit” in the take-up of disability benefits among people who are registered blind or partially sighted.

Furthermore, poor communication from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the challenge of securing face-to-face appointments are also cited as barriers in the research.

Breaking down the findings, researchers at Loughborough University found that while the largest number of people missing out on disability benefits are aged 65 years and older with 66,000 (21.7%) affected, those most at risk are those aged 16–44 years old, with 6000 blind and partially sighted people in this age group (27.4%) not receiving any disability benefits.

In addition, within the 16–44 age bracket, 44% of people from minority ethnic groups are estimated to not receive the disability benefits they are entitled to, compared with 23% of white blind and partially sighted people in the same age bracket.

Researchers also found that, overall, men in all age brackets are at greater risk of not receiving the disability benefits they are entitled to, with 28% of men not receiving them, compared with 22% in women.

Commenting on the research findings, RNIB policy officer, Roisin Jacklin, said: “Disability benefits are available to people with sight loss partly to help with the extra costs associated with disability. We urgently need a fairer and clearer benefit system so blind and partially sighted people don’t miss out and get the disability benefits they’re entitled when they initially apply.”

The research also explored income and employment, reporting that 41% of blind and partially sighted people in a low-income household are estimated to be missing out on disability benefits, compared to 16% in higher income households. Furthermore, the risk of missing out on disability benefits was highest for blind and partially sighted people in employment, with 69% of men and 44% of women not receiving them.

The RNIB emphasised that, in its experience, people with sight loss in employment are also susceptible to barriers caused by welfare stigma and internalised guilt in claiming benefits while in work.

Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, Juliet Stone, explained: “We know that blind and partially sighted people face multiple barriers to applying for benefits, including a lack of tailored support in the application process, and negative perceptions of the social security system. Our research has highlighted the importance of addressing these shortcomings, with tens of thousands of blind or partially sighted people missing out on disability benefits to which they are entitled. 

Stone emphasised: “Improving uptake of benefits is not a straightforward task, but without addressing the structural and practical obstacles to claiming disability benefits, thousands of blind and partially sighted people in the UK will remain vulnerable to financial hardship.”