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Sight loss and the minimum cost of living: 2024 update paper

Posted Monday, 22 July 2024 Categories: News story Research Report

The pressures on low incomes that have persisted over the past few years have continued into 2024. While inflation has slowed, the rapid increases in living costs have not been matched by corresponding increases in benefit levels or earnings. Despite welcome increases in benefits in April 2023 and 2024, these adjustments have not compensated for the shortfall between costs and incomes created by previous years' benefit freezes and below-inflation uprating.

For people with sight loss, this situation is exacerbated as they face additional costs specific to their disability, alongside the general increase in living costs. This briefing examines the impact of inflation on these additional costs over time, focusing on three key points: 2016, 2022, and 2024. It also compares these increases to changes in disability benefits from 2022 to 2024, assessing whether these benefits are adequate in covering the additional expenses associated with sight loss.

Key findings

  1. Increased costs due to sight loss: The additional weekly costs for people with sight loss have risen significantly between 2016 and 2024. For example, the cost for a sight impaired working-aged adult increased from £50.33 to £65.20, while for a severely sight-impaired adult, it rose from £120.43 to £156.44.
  2. Comparison with disability benefits: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance (AA) rates increased by 17% between 2022 and 2024, and by 32% between 2016 and 2024. While these increases are slightly above inflation, they do not fully cover the additional costs for severely sight-impaired individuals unless both the daily living and mobility components are received at the enhanced rate.
  3. Impact on pensioners: The additional costs for sight-impaired pension-age adults increased from £77.82 to £101.50, and for severely sight-impaired pensioners from £135.51 to £174.40 between 2016 and 2024. The higher rate of Attendance Allowance meets the additional costs for sight-impaired pensioners but falls short for those who are severely sight-impaired.

This research report was commission by RNIB from the Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University.

Sight loss and the minimum cost of living: 2024 update paper (Word)