Age Pension Blind
Australian seniors who are ‘legally blind’ can be paid full rate Age Pension without any means testing.
The only difference between the ‘Age Pension – Blind’ and the ordinary Age Pension is the exemption from providing asset and income details to Centrelink.
Applicants for the ‘Age Pension – Blind’ must be Australian citizens or ‘permanent residents’ who satisfy the age and residency requirements for the Age Pension.
Who is ‘legally blind’
The ‘Age Pension – Blind’ is for seniors who are permanently ‘legally blind’. The definition of ‘legally blind’ is included in the Social Security Regulations.
Only a medical specialist ophthalmologist may sign the Centrelink Report to certify that an adult is ‘legally blind’ and will remain ‘legally blind’ permanently.
In practical terms, to be ‘legally blind’ you must have very low vision or no functioning eyes.
The ‘legally blind’ definition requires that if you have some vision then you fail to be able to see in at least one of four ways. For example, your vision could be so blurred that standing six metres away, you cannot read a road sign designed to be read at sixty metres by someone with ‘normal’ vision.
The other tests for being ‘legally blind’ relate to your vision field. Some ‘legally blind’ people can see only straight ahead; each eye sees its own tiny field. But you need your two eyes to see the same area to judge the speed of a moving object and the distance from your eyes to any object. Concrete steps just look like a grey path to a person who only has a tiny central vision field; and that glass door is invisible.
Other ‘legally blind’ people need to look sideways to see an object; their central vision field is very blurred. Finally some seniors have bits missing from their vision field; they might have lost the left half or their vision field might be like looking through glasses that have big black spots randomly stuck on their lenses.
Low vision but not ‘legally blind’
Being ‘legally blind’ means having no vision or very low vision.
Many seniors find that their eye sight has deteriorated to the extent that they cannot safely drive a car anymore but they still have vision that is far better than ‘legally blind’.
If your eyesight continues to deteriorate then you could have another vision assessment by a medical specialist ophthalmologist to check if your vision has reduced to the level of ‘legally blind’.
Loss of vision field could result from macular degeneration slowly reducing the outer edges of the vision field. You might not notice that your vision field has contracted.
Other seniors could experience a medical incident, such as a stroke, that suddenly takes away the sight of one or both eyes. An acquired brain injury, ABI, could damage the brain’s ability to process images from part or all, of the vision field.
Claiming the Age Pension – Blind
To claim the Age Pension – Blind you need to complete the standard claim form for an Age Pension SA-002. You also need to show Centrelink your personal documents to prove your identity as an Australian citizen and/or long term permanent resident, and that you have lived in Australia for ten years as a ‘permanent resident’.
In addition you must submit your Blind Certificate, a completed Centrelink form SA013 signed by a medical specialist ophthalmologist.
Please be aware that to apply for an Age Pension Blind you must have your Blind Certificate signed by a medical specialist ophthalmologist.
If Centrelink require a review of your ‘permanent blindness’, some years after you have started receiving the Age Pension Blind, then you might be allowed to have your Blind Certificate SA013 signed by an optometrist rather than a medical specialist.
For ‘legally blind’ Pension applicants, the signed SA-013 form replaces the need for the Asset and Income Declaration form SA-369.
But if your partner applies for an Age Pension then your partner must complete the Centrelink Income and Assets form SA-369 showing all of the assets and income of both yourself and your partner.
Mobility aids for low vision seniors
Guide Dogs and white canes are used by people with low or no vision, to help them get around independently. But not every ‘legally blind’ person has the privilege of being assisted by a Guide Dog.
Many ‘legally blind’ people who have some peripheral vision, can move around carefully without needing to tap the ground ahead. But some of these low vision people would carry a short white cane to check for objects in their path.
Free suburban public transport for Blind Pensioners
If your Pensioner Concession Card shows ‘Age Pension – Blind’ then you could apply for a free Travel Pass. Blind Pensioners are entitled to travel free on suburban public transport.
The Victorian Blind Travel Pass is like a MYKI card to open the ticket barriers but station staff are usually ready to open the gates for low vision travellers.
Help to understand how your situation fits in the Age Pension system.
Christine at Financial Care Services writes this Age Pension Guide. She can help you to understand your Age Pension situation.
Ask Christine to help you navigate your Age Pension challenge.
Contact Christine at Christine@financialcareservices.com.au or call 03 9808 0338 to book a consultation.
Christine at Financial Care Services is experienced with Pension Applications and the many Centrelink financial means tests.
Financial Care Services helps seniors with Centrelink Pension issues. Christine at Financial Care Services could help you check if you are eligible for an Age Pension.
An estimate of your potential Age Pension amount before you apply could spare you a rejection letter from Centrelink.
Financial Care Services offers ‘personal financial factual information’ consultations to help you check your asset and income position against the Centrelink Pension means tests. Christine is also able to assist with filling in your Centrelink forms ready for you to sign. She will accompany you to a Centrelink office to lodge your Pension claim form and show your proof of identity documents.
Financial Care Services charges hourly rate fees for ‘personal financial factual information’ consultations, assistance with personal data collation, completing Centrelink forms and attendance at a Centrelink office with you. Email Christine@financialcareservices.com.au now for the Financial Care Services Client Services Guide and Financial Care Services Age Pension Personal Data Checklist.
Disclaimer This Age Pension Guide is based on our understanding of the current Social Security provisions. Your claim for a Social Security Pension will be based on your personal situation as documented to Centrelink and the Social Security legislation and Regulations in force at that date.
Updated May 2019
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