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Royal Blind Society Guidelines for Grant Applications
Please read carefully before completing the grant form.
We award grants to help meet the extra cost of visual impairment to people who are registered as blind or partially sighted and permanently resident in the UK. Applications can only be accepted when they are made through a professional welfare worker who knows you well, for example, a social worker, a rehabilitation officer, an official of a local association for the blind or Citizens’ Advice Bureau, the manager of a day centre etc.
Grants are not usually made where the household disposable income exceeds £104 per week for the first person, or £182 per week for the first two persons. For any other person in the household add an additional £47 per week.
Disposable income is calculated by subtracting rent or mortgage and Council Tax payments from the whole household’s total income (It should be noted that no other household costs will be taken into account; however, Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance payments are disregarded).
When completing the form please ensure that any deduction being made from a benefit income is clearly identified. You should also tell us if you are awaiting a decision on any benefit claim, including Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance.
Grants will not normally be made where the household’s savings exceed £4,000.
Annual Grants – of up to £208 in any one year are awarded (one per household) to help meet the extra cost of visual impairment, for example, meeting the extra cost of telephone bills, electricity bills (for those people needing extra lighting) etc. Annual Grants are not awarded on a general low-income basis. In cases of particular hardship, grants may be paid at any time. However, annual grants are generally paid in April, May or June, and new applications will be assessed quarterly.
One-off Grants – of up to £200 in any one year are awarded (one per household) to help meet the extra cost of visual impairment. Priority areas for one-off grants include:
- contributions towards ICT equipment and software that will specifically facilitate reading and writing, and more generally enhance education and employment prospects.
- holidays within the UK, with strong preference being given to guests booking at the Society’s own hotels.
- health and safety in daily living.
Applications for one-off grants will be reviewed quarterly. They must include a quotation for the goods/services for which you are seeking a donation.
Where grant applications are sponsored by another charity, the Society will expect the sponsoring charity to have already made or pledged a contribution. Any grant from the Society will not normally exceed that made by the sponsoring charity.
In some cases, the Trustees will consider awarding one-off payments where disposable income exceeds the amounts stated; however, evidence of “exceptional circumstances” must be given.
The Society regrets it cannot award grants to help ameliorate other disabilities even where there is also a visual impairment, for example, hearing aids, mobility aids and vehicle costs.
All grants are awarded at the discretion of the Trustees and when a grant is made, their decision will be communicated to the applicant and the official supporting the application. All applications will be acknowledged, but no further correspondence will be entered into.
Please ensure you complete the form in full. If you need further help or advice before completing the grant application form, please contact:
Derek Froud on 01903 857023.
Please return the completed form to Derek Froud at:
Royal Blind Society
RBS House
59-61 Sea Lane
Rustington
West Sussex
BN16 2RQ
Click here for the
application form
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