Around 188,000 people in Scotland are affected by some form of sight loss with that figure expected to double by 2031, according to the charity, Sight Scotland, formerly known as Royal Blind. Three out of four Scots with a visual impairment are aged over 65 with around 8,000 people of working age registered blind or partially sighted.
For adults that lose their sight in later life, it can be very distressing as they feel they are no longer able to enjoy some of the activities they love to do, such as driving, taking part in sports, reading and cooking. Mobility can also be affected and with that comes independence and travel issues.
The latest Personal Independence Payment (PIP) figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that at the end of April, there were 54,431 people claiming support for a visual disease, impairment or condition, including 4,687 people living in Scotland.
The shortfall between 188,000 people in Scotland living with sight loss and only 4,687 claiming PIP could be down to a number of factors.
This could include:
- Children under 16 would be claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or the new Child Disability payment and not PIP
- Anyone over State Pension age, who had not previously been on PIP before they started drawing their pension, would only be eligible for Attendance Allowance
- People haven't switched from DLA to PIP yet - this will happen for everyone by 2025
- People may not realise they are eligible to claim PIP
The most common eye conditions that PIP claimants are living with include:
- Retinitis Pigmentosa
- Macular Degeneration - Wet and Dry (also referred to as age-related MD)
- Retina and optic nerve - other diseases of / type not known
- Diabetic Retinopathy (a condition that can cause vision loss in people with diabetes)
If you have daily living and, or mobility needs, because of a sight condition or low vision, you may be eligible for PIP and should consider making a claim.
PIP is being replaced in Scotland by Adult Disability Payment, which will follow the same eligibility criteria, but will take a more people-centred approach - find out more here.
If you use a white cane - long or short - to help you safely move around outside, you could be eligible for the enhanced rate of the mobility component which is worth £64.50 each week or £258 each pay period (every four weeks).
The legal question on the ‘How Your Disability Affects You’ PIP claim form awards 12 points if you answer ‘yes’ to the following:
- Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid (for example a white cane)
46 visual conditions being supported through PIP
The following list is provided by the DWP and are the main disabling eye conditions for which people are claiming PIP. This is recorded at the time of assessment.
Diseases of conjunctiva, cornea, eyelids and lacrimal apparatus
- Conjunctiva, cornea, eyelids and lacrimal apparatus - Other diseases of / type not known
- Corneal ulceration
- Entropion
- Herpes zoster - ophthalmic
- Keratitis
- Keratoconus
- Orbital cellulitis
- Ptosis
- Scleritis
Uveitis
- Anterior Uveitis (iritis)
- Chorioretinal disorders - Other / type not known
- Posterior (choroiditis)
Glaucoma
Visual injuries to the eye
Vitreous disease
- Posterior vitreous detachment
- Vitreous disease - Other / type not known
- Vitreous haemorrhage
Diseases of the retina and optic nerve
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Hypertensive retinopathy
- Macular degeneration
- Optic atrophy
- Optic neuritis
- Retina and optic nerve - Other diseases of / type not known
- Retinal artery occlusion
- Retinal detachment
- Retinal vein occlusion
- Retinitis Pigmentosa
- Retinopathy - Other / type not known
Cataract
Refractive errors
- Astigmatism
- Hypermetropia (long-sighted)
- Myopia (short-sighted)
- Presbyopia
- Refractive errors - Other / type not known
Disorders of eye movement
- Eye movement - Other disorders of / type not known
- Nystagmus
- Strabismus (Squint)
Visual field defects
- Amblyopia
- Cortical blindness
- Diplopia (double vision)
- Hemianopia
- Quadrantanopia
- Scotoma
- Tunnel vision
- Visual field defects - Other / type not known
Other diseases affecting vision
What is PIP?
PIP is a benefit which is gradually replacing DLA.
If you need extra help because of an illness, disability or mental health condition you could be eligible for PIP.
You will be assessed by a health professional to work out the level of help you can get and your rate will be reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.
Who is eligible for PIP?
To be eligible for PIP, you must have a health condition or disability where you:
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have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months
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expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months
You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.
In addition to what we have outlined above if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP - or Adult Disability Payment, depending on where you live.
- preparing, cooking or eating food
- managing your medication
- washing, bathing or using the toilet
- dressing and undressing
- engaging and communicating with other people
- reading and understanding written information
- making decisions about money
- planning a journey or following a route
- moving around
There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the GOV.UK website here.
The DWP will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will look at:
- whether you can do it safely
- how long it takes you
- how often your condition affects this activity
- whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment
How is PIP paid?
PIP is usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly.
PIP will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.
Adult Disability Payment will be paid at the same rates as PIP.
What are the PIP payment rates?
You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.
PIP is made up of two components:
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Daily living
-
Mobility
Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you.
You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:
Daily living
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Standard rate: £61.85
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Enhanced rate: £92.40
Mobility
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Standard rate: £24.45
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Enhanced rate: £64.50
How you are assessed
You will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need.
Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments - it's important to be aware that there is no choice here, it's up to the health professional and DWP.
Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant - find out more about the changes here.
You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here.
How do you make a claim for PIP?
You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the GOV.UK website here.
Before you call, you will need:
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your contact details
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your date of birth
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your National Insurance number - this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits
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your bank or building society account number and sort code
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your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
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dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital
Once you have contacted the DWP, they will send you a document to complete which consists of 14 questions. This includes space for any additional information you feel is relevant to your claim.
The questions focus on how your condition affects you, so put as much detail in as you can to help the assessor understand your physical or mental health needs.
If you have difficulty filling in your form or understanding the questions, contact your local council and ask for help or Citizens Advice Scotland.
We have a breakdown of all 14 questions here and you can take an anonymous self-test online at Benefits and Work to see how many points you would be awarded for each response.
There is also an online PIP toolkit with examples of all the questions to help you answer fully with the most relevant information, find out more about this here.
Even if you don't qualify for financial support, you could be eligible for a National Entitlement Travel Card, which offers free or reduced travel across Scotland on most public transport links.
For more information about PIP, visit GOV.UK here.
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