Social assistance; applying for assistance for the blind

Blind people can apply for assistance for the blind to compensate for the additional expenses caused by their blindness.

Assistance for the blind can be paid as part of social assistance .

From July 1, 2025, assistance for the blind amounts to

• Blind people after the age of 18 EUR 913.21 per month and
• EUR 457.40 per month for blind people under the age of 18.

Assistance for the blind is paid directly in the form of a lump sum. This lump sum changes in line with the current pension value in the statutory pension insurance scheme. The assistance for the blind changes at the same time and to the same extent as the current pension value in the statutory pension insurance scheme changes. The pension is generally adjusted on July 1 of each year.

The income limit in Section 85 of the Social Security Code XII applies (basic amount of twice the standard needs level 1 + 70 % of the standard needs level 1 for other family members + reasonable accommodation costs).

As part of the integration assistance for people with disabilities, the costs for a guide dog and for other aids can also be covered in individual cases. aids if no other cost bearer (e.g. statutory health insurance) is responsible.

Similar benefits, which are also intended to compensate for the additional expenses caused by blindness, have priority. They are offset against the assistance for the blind. This rule applies, among other things, to

• the state allowance for the blind under the Bavarian Blindness Allowance Act (BayBlindG),
• the care allowance for accidentally blind people according to § 44 of the Seventh Book of the Social Code (SGB VII) and
• the care allowance according to § 269 of the Law on Equalization of Burdens (Lastenausgleichsgesetz - LAG).

Note:

In the area of social compensation law (SER), benefits can be paid for severe visual impairment, blindness and deaf-blindness (§ 82 of the Fourteenth Book of the Social Code - SGB XIV). Unlike social assistance, no income or assets are taken into account. In addition, SER benefits take precedence over state benefits for additional expenses due to blindness (e.g. BayBlindG).

• Identity card, passport or residence permit (copy)
• Disability certificate (copy)

  with the corresponding decision of the pension office and already existing medical certificate in which the disability is diagnosed and the necessity of the requested services is justified

• Declaration of assets
  • Bank statements of all managed accounts of the last 6 months with final account balance (copy)
  • In case of house and land ownership: copy of the certificate of assessed value and the fire insurance certificate
  • If applicable, copy of the notice of long-term care insurance (copy)
  • If applicable, notice of unemployment benefit I or II, maintenance assistance according to LAG, pension payments according to BVG, etc. (copy)
  • If applicable, pension statement (copy)
  • If applicable, contribution notice from the health insurance fund (copy)
• Rental agreement

  and, if applicable, last letter of tenant increase (copy)

• in case of guardianship: guardian's card (copy)
• Power of attorney, if applicable
• The competent authority may require further documentation.

• Receive assistance for the blind:
  • blind people
  • Persons of equal status to blind people
    • Persons who have a total visual acuity of no more than 1/50 in both eyes (1/20 in the SER range) and
    • persons who have a severe visual impairment that is equivalent to the aforementioned impairment of vision. The visual impairment must not be temporary.

• In the following cases, there is no assistance for the blind:
  • Assistance for the blind is not available if similar benefits are granted under other legislation.
  • People who are deaf-blind do not receive assistance for the blind due to the level of benefits under the Bavarian Blindness Benefit Act (BayBlindG), but may receive SER benefits.
  • Persons who receive partial inpatient and outpatient assistance and/or live in special forms of accommodation before the age of 18 do not receive assistance for the blind

Assistance for the blind is granted on application. You must submit the completed application form from the district responsible for your place of residence together with the necessary documents.

The responsible office will check your application. If the result is positive, you will receive a corresponding approval notice. The assistance for the blind will be transferred to the account you specified in your application. As a rule, you will receive the money shortly after you have received the notification.

If the result is negative, you will receive a rejection notice.

Blind and severely visually impaired people receive blindness benefit regardless of whether they are in need (see "Related topics"). The allowance for the blind is lower than the amount for assistance for the blind. For this reason, people aged 18 and over are entitled to supplementary assistance for the blind. This amounts to the difference of currently 137.21 euros. People who live in residential care facilities such as nursing homes receive a monthly allowance of 68.60 euros.