Our campaigning on the cost of living

Making harrowing spending choices is impacting the mental and physical health of blind and partially sighted people as the cost of living crisis continues to bite - with a second winter looming.

Ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, we’ve joined with other charities calling for urgent action to support people with sight loss and other disabilities with the rising cost of living.

While the Spring Budget took some positive steps, including extending the Energy Price Guarantee, it did not go far enough to support blind and partially sighted people with rising living costs.

“Blind and partially sighted people will feel relieved to hear that the Chancellor has committed to raising benefits in line with inflation in April, but this should never have been in doubt. Additional support must be provided urgently for people with sight loss above the means-test for benefits. The uprating of benefits must be brought in before the Winter to avoid unnecessary hardship as prices continue to soar..."

Charities representing blind and partially sighted people are urging the UK Government to increase benefits in line with inflation rather than wages when a decision is made at the end of the month. Around two million people live with sight loss in the UK, and 340,000 of these are registered blind or partially sighted. Even before prices began to rise, one in five blind and partially sighted people said they had some or great difficulty in making ends meet, with the cost-of-living crisis making the situation even worse.

We handed in a petition signed by 2733 people to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) demanding that they take urgent action to support blind and partially sighted people who are struggling with the cost of living crisis.

The UK Government’s mini-budget and energy price guarantee do not go far enough to support blind and partially sighted people through the cost of living crisis.

The Chancellor’s mini-budget does little for the majority of blind and partially sighted people. Last week’s statement failed to deliver much needed targeted support for people hardest hit by the cost of living crisis .

While most people are noticing an increase in their spending on essentials , this report, based on RNIB’s research and a recent survey of people with sight loss, shows that the current crisis is disproportionately impacting blind and partially sighted people, who tend to be in lower-income households and have additional costs for things like assistive technology, taxis, and support around the home.