Benefits and Concessions. 

This is a summary of the benefits and concessions available to you in Wales. In order to successfully claim many of these, it is helpful and sometimes essential that you provide evidence in the form of a Certificate of Vision Impairment or evidence of Registration as Sight Impaired (SI) or Severely Sight Impaired (SSI). You were issued with a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) by the optometrist who diagnosed your eye condition.  

Registration, on the other hand, is carried out by the Social Services Department of your Local Authority. You must be certified with a vision impairment prior to being registered with the Local Authority. The Local Authority must obtain your consent to include you on their register. 

While Registration is voluntary, it is recommended if you would wish to obtain benefits or concessions. 

Persons certified as SSI may be able to benefit from: 

• Blind person’s tax allowance 

• Blue Badge Scheme – car parking (also refer below) 

• Television licence fee reduction 

Persons certified as SI or SSI may be able to benefit from: 

• Free postage – “Articles for the blind” 

• Free directory enquiries  

• Free NHS eye examinations 

• CEA card to bring a companion to a participating cinema for free 

• Assessment by qualified Vision Rehabilitation Specialist 

If you are certified as SI or SSI you may choose to consider yourself a ‘disabled person’. As such, you are protected under the Equality Act 2010. As a Disabled Person you may be able to benefit from: 

• Disabled Persons Railcard  

• Free or reduced bus travel fare  

• Blue Badge Scheme – car parking 

• PIP - Personal Independence Payment  

• Attendance Allowance  

• Carer’s Allowance  

• Direct Payments 

• Employment and Support Allowance  

• Tax Credits for people on low income 

• Housing Benefit  

• [Disabled band reduction scheme] 

• Council Tax Support  

• Council Tax disability reduction  

• Universal Credit  

• Pension Credit  

• Free and discounted tickets for a companion at theatres, galleries, or tourist attractions (numerous schemes depending on venue – Hynt, for example, for participating venues in Wales) 

Please note that this information is for guidance only and is not an authoritative statement of the law.