Apply for assistance for the blind

Assistance for the blind is a social welfare benefit for blind people. This lump-sum cash benefit is intended to compensate for additional financial expenses caused by blindness.

You are entitled to apply if you are blind or equivalent to a blind person.

If you also receive home care benefits, state allowance for the blind, benefits for the war and accident blind or live in an inpatient facility (e.g. a care home), these can be offset against the assistance for the blind.

If you receive care assistance due to blindness outside an inpatient facility or receive a cash amount as a social welfare benefit, it is not possible to receive assistance for the blind at the same time.

The amount of assistance for the blind depends on the time and extent of the adjustment of pensions in the statutory pension insurance scheme. Assistance for the blind is adjusted accordingly.

The maximum amount of assistance for the blind is (as of 01.07.2025)

• before the age of 18: EUR 457.38 or
• from the age of 18: EUR 913.19

per month.

The costs of the benefits are borne by the responsible social welfare provider. Only people who do not have sufficient assets or income of their own receive assistance for the blind.

Requirements

You can receive assistance for the blind if the following conditions are met:

• Blindness (complete absence of sight) or not only temporary total binocular acuity of one fiftieth or less
• Proof of the severity of your visual impairment, for example through
  
  • Severely disabled person's pass with the mark "Bl" or
  • Assessment notice in accordance with the law on severely disabled persons,
  • ophthalmological findings or a medical certificate
• low income
• low assets
• In addition, certain other persons, such as the spouse, cannot reasonably be expected to cover the additional expenses caused by blindness from their own resources.