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Welcome to SITE
Supported Integration, Training and Employment (SITE) is a charity for blind and visually impaired people covering Glasgow and the West of Scotland. We give expert care, advice and training to anyone affected by sight loss, right where it's needed most.
This website is your starting point if you want to support the visually impaired community within Glasgow and surrounding areas. If you would like to get in touch with us then please do so via our email address.
What's Happening...?
SITE Podcast now available - click here to listen to our very first broadcast
Changes to Disability Living Allowance
The Government has announced that people with severe visual impairment will be eligible to claim the higher rate mobility component of DLA. It is understood that the change will be implemented on 1 April 2011. This means that people with severe visual impairment will be able to claim the higher rate mobility component of DLA at 46.75 per week instead of the lower rate at 17.75 per week. Although the Government laid before Parliament the Regulations covering the change to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) that will allow people with severe visual impairment to claim the higher rate mobility component of DLA we wonder, given the proposed austerity measures that the Regulations will actually come into force.
Who will be eligible?
The information regarding who will be eligible is covered in the Regulations.
Someone will be taken as having a "severe visual impairment" and eligible if they have been certified as severely visually impaired by a consultant ophthalmologist AND have a visual acuity of less than 3/60 OR if they have a visual acuity of 3/60 or more, but less than 6/60, a complete loss of peripheral field and a central visual field restricted to no more than 10 degrees in total. These two routes to entitlement encompass all those people who come within the following categories of sight impairment:
- no perception of light
- perception of light only
- perception of hand movement
- a visual acuity of 3/60 with a total or extensive loss of field.
We know that the vast majority of people with sight loss experience varying levels of mobility difficulties. Currently the higher rate mobility component of DLA is targeted at those with most severe physical, mental health and learning difficulties. Similarly, when the Government extends the higher rate to people with sight loss, it will be focused on those with the most severe visual impairment.
When will the change happen?
People with severe visual impairment will be able to claim the higher rate mobility component of DLA from 1 April 2011.
What will happen next - how do I claim the benefit?
Visually impaired people already in receipt of the lower rate mobility component of DLA need do nothing now. The Department of Work and Pensions is not starting work on looking at individual claims for a number of months. The Pensions, Disability and Carers Service will be contacting current claimants from around November onwards to talk to them about whether or not they might be eligible.
If you believe that you might be eligible you could start to gather the necessary evidence, for example your certificate of severe visual impairment (a CVI) from your Ophthalmologist.
The DWP will publicise more information to claimants in the coming months.
