Blind assistance is a social welfare benefit for blind people. This lump sum cash benefit is intended to compensate for additional financial expenses incurred as a result of blindness. 

You are eligible to apply if you are blind or have a condition equivalent to blindness.

If you also receive home care benefits, state blindness allowance, benefits for war and accident blindness, or if you live in a residential facility (e.g., a nursing home), these may be offset against the blindness assistance.

If you receive care assistance due to blindness outside of a residential facility or receive a cash payment as social assistance, you are not eligible to receive blindness assistance at the same time.

The amount of blindness assistance depends on the timing and extent of adjustments to pensions in the statutory pension insurance system. Blindness assistance is adjusted accordingly.

The maximum blindness allowance (as of July 1, 2024) is 

• before the age of 18: EUR 440.90 or
• from the age of 18: EUR 880.28 

per month. 

The costs for the benefits are covered by the responsible social welfare agency. Blind assistance is only available to people who do not have sufficient assets or income of their own.

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

• Blindness (complete loss of eyesight) or a permanent binocular visual acuity of no more than one-fiftieth
• Proof of the severity of your visual impairment, for example through 
  • a severely disabled person's pass marked "Bl" or
  • a notice of determination 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 be expected to cover the additional expenses incurred due to blindness from their own resources.

• Our responsible administrator will be happy to advise you before you submit your initial application.
• If necessary, you can submit an informal application right away.
• We may ask you to submit additional documents.
• Once we have all the documents, we will forward your application and medical records to the State Office for Social Affairs, Youth, and Care in Mainz.
• The State Office will check whether you are entitled to blind assistance based on the information you have provided.
• At the same time, our case worker will check whether and to what extent your income and assets will be taken into account.
• After the review, you will receive a written notice of approval or rejection.

• Appeal within one month of notification of the administrative decision
• Action before the social court within one month of notification of the appeal decision

There are no deadlines to be observed. However, it should be noted that blind assistance is paid at the earliest from the first day of the month in which the application for blind assistance is submitted.

The processing time for your application depends on various factors and varies from case to case.