HC Deb 08 March 1978 vol 945 cc701-2W
Mr. Moate

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what benefits and services are provided for the registered blind that are not available for the registered partially sighted; and what consideration has been given to extending the benefits and services to the latter category.

Mr. Alfred Morris

Services provided by local authority social services departments for blind people are also available to the partially sighted. The same is true of cash benefits, except for supplementary benefit, which has higher scale rates for blind persons than for other people, including the partially sighted.

There are no plans for extending these special scale rates to partially sighted persons. We take the view that, within the supplementary benefits scheme, special expenses arising out of all forms of disablement are more appropriately dealt with by reference to individual circumstances through the discretionary powers of the Supplementary Benefits Commission.