Blind Person's Allowance

If you are entitled to a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) as a sight impaired/partially sighted or a severe sight impaired/blind person under the provisions of the National Assistance Act 1948, you are entitled to a special blind person’s personal allowance. That is in addition to the normal personal allowance for each tax year. But you won't receive the blind person’s allowance unless you claim it.

To be entitled to it in Cambridgeshire, you will almost certainly have to be assessed by the Department of Ophthalmology and be issued with a Certificate of Vision Impairment which has replaced form BD8. It is also important to use this certificate to be registered as partially sighted with Cambridgeshire County Council to be entitled to a range of other benefits including concessions on various leisure activities and possibly a Council Tax bill reduction.

With a CVI and your National Insurance number, a partially sighted or blind person or their representative should immediately contact HM Revenue & Customs to register their right to a blind person’s allowance worth £1,980 in the current 2011-12 tax year. So, assuming a person has sufficient income then claiming this tax break could save them tax of 20% on earned or bank or building society income of £1,980 or £360 a year extra tax free income – every little bit helps.

The address to write to claim the blind person’s allowance is:-

HMRC PAYE
PO Box 1970
LIVERPOOL
L75 1WX

If your income is not sufficient to allow you to benefit from a blind person’s allowance, you can TRANSFER any unused allowance to a spouse or civil partner. Once again you can do this by writing to or phoning HMRC (on 0845 366 7887) or completing form 575 headed “Notice of Transfer of Surplus Income Tax Allowances”.

Not only that, but the benefit to you or a partner of claiming this allowance should be almost immediate in terms of adjusting your or their tax coding on any taxable pension or other income. Please remember again, if you don't claim, you don't get because the tax man does not know whether you are partially or fully unsighted.

If you have any questions or queries, please contact Nigel Bolitho of BV Services, an Independent Financial Adviser in Cottenham. His address is 185 High Street, Cottenham, Cambridge CB24 8RX. The telephone number is 01954 251521, fax number 01954 252420 and e-mail nigel.bolitho@gmail.com