The CVI: Your gateway to support and independence

A travel pass for disabled people is your ticket to free travel on public transport within your local area. It’s a great way to make getting around easier, and more affordable too.

To get your pass, you’ll need to apply through your local authority or transport provider, depending on where you live. Since each area might have its own rules on how you can use your pass, it’s worth checking the details for your area to know exactly how you can use it.

If you’re in Greater Manchester, there are two types of pass available. The pass you’re eligible for depends on your sight registration.

If you’re registered sight impaired, you can apply for a Concessionary Travel Pass. This gives you free access to buses, trams, and local trains between 9:30am and midnight on weekdays, and all day on weekends and public holidays.

If you’re registered severely sight impaired, you can go for the Concessionary Travel Plus Pass. This allows you to travel for free within Greater Manchester 24/7. How great is that?

Both of these passes also let you travel for free on buses across England from 9:30am to 11:00pm.

Applying for your pass won’t cost you a thing, and once you have it, it’s valid for one to five years, depending on your disability. If you ever lose your pass or it gets stolen, don’t worry — you can get a replacement for just £10.

Travel vouchers are a fantastic way to cut down on the cost of getting around when you’re using taxis, private hire vehicles, or community transport schemes. They’re designed to make travel more affordable and accessible if you’re registered severely sight impaired, or receive 8 points or more for the Moving around component of Personal Independence Payment.

Travel Vouchers are a great deal — they’re worth four times what you pay for them! If you spend £5 on vouchers, you’ll get £20 worth of travel credit. It’s a simple and effective way to make your travel budget go further.

When you join the Travel Vouchers Scheme, you’ll also receive a membership card. If you’re registered severely sight impaired, this card unlocks free travel on trains and trams within Greater Manchester at any time. However, if your membership is based on mobility-related benefits, you can enjoy free travel on trains and trams between 9:30am and midnight Monday through Friday, and all day at weekends and on public holidays.

Please note that this scheme does not include travelling on buses. You also can’t be a member of both the Travel Vouchers Scheme and hold a Travel or Travel+ pass at the same time.

The Disabled Persons Railcard is a great way to save on train travel, offering you 1/3 off your train tickets. You also get  the same discount for an adult companion traveling with you. It’s a fantastic benefit that can make your journeys more affordable.

The Railcard is available for just £20 for one year or £54 for three years. You can choose to have it as a plastic card, or as a digital card on the Railcard app.

One of the best things? You can apply for it whether you’re registered sight impaired or severely sight impaired.

The Blue Badge is a valuable tool that allows you to park in disabled parking spaces and other designated areas for Blue Badge holders. This can make it easier for you to access the places you need to go if travelling in a vehicle such as a car.

You automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you’re registered severely sight impaired. Don’t worry if you’re registered sight impaired — you might still be eligible, for example, if you receive 8 points or more for the Moving Around activity of Personal Independence Payment.

With a Blue Badge, you often won’t need to pay at “on-street” parking meters or in pay-and-display bays, and it can even lift time limits on parking in certain areas.

Just remember, parking regulations can vary depending on the car park, so always check the specific rules wherever you’re parking with your Blue Badge.

In England, the Blue Badge costs £10 and is valid for three years, offering excellent value for the convenience it provides.

The CEA Card offers a fantastic perk: a free ticket for a companion to join you at the cinema. It’s a great way to enjoy movies with a friend, family member or personal assistant, and get one ticket for free.

To apply for the CEA Card, you’ll need to provide proof of your eligibility. If you have a CVI, that’s all you need, and it doesn’t matter if you’re registered sight impaired or severely sight impaired. This means that anyone with sight loss can take advantage of this great concession.

Even if you don’t have a CVI, you can still apply for the card if you receive certain benefits like Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, or Attendance Allowance.

The card costs just £6, but you will need to renew it annually. While it costs a small amount, it’s a smart way to save money if you frequently visit the cinema with someone else.

The Nimbus Disability Access Card works a bit differently from the other concessions we’ve mentioned so far. Instead of automatically granting you access to a concession, this card is a simple and effective way to communicate your access needs to venues.

The card features symbols that represent different access requirements. For example, the +1 symbol tells venues that you need support from an essential companion. How the venue offers that support, however, depends on the venue’s procedures.

While many venues will provide a free companion ticket, others might offer a reduced price ticket instead. There’s also a symbol indicating that you need information in accessible formats.

The Nimbus Disability Access Card costs £15 and is valid for three years. It’s a handy tool to make sure venues that accept the Access Card understand and accommodate your needs.

The National Disability Card is a helpful tool, similar to the Nimbus Disability Access Card.

While the Nimbus Card focuses on your individual access needs, the National Disability Card simply identifies you as disabled, making it easier to communicate this when needed.

It costs £20 to apply, and you’ll need to renew it every two years. You only need to upload one piece of evidence to apply. This could be your CVI, a benefit entitlement letter, or even the back of your Blue Badge, or your travel pass.

Having the card comes with benefits, including access to offers at various venues and services. You can explore the full list of places that accept the card on the National Disability Card website, where you’ll also find information on how it can benefit you in the different venues.

You can also use your card to buy a RADAR key, which gives you access to disabled toilets across the UK. You can add a key to your order for £5.75. There’s also the option to buy a lanyard, ideal for when you’d like to visually identify as disabled.

If you support a disabled person, the National Carers Card can help you access concessions and discounts at a range of venues and attractions. It’s a simple way to show that you’re a carer, and can unlock a variety of benefits. Whether you’re a family member, friend, volunteer, or professional, anyone providing care can apply for the card.

The application process is simple. You don’t need to provide any evidence, just self-declare that you care for someone who needs support.

The card costs £20 and is valid for two years. If the person you care for holds a National Disability Card, they’ll receive a discount code, reducing the cost of the National Carers Card to £15.

With the card, you’re also eligible to buy a RADAR key for £6.90, giving you access to disabled toilets across the UK. You can also add a lanyard to your order for £5, which can be useful when you want to visually identify yourself as a carer.

When it comes to enjoying live performances like theatre shows and concerts, many venues have an access register. Access registers are  designed to make your experience as smooth as possible. By joining, you can unlock benefits like free companion tickets, and ensure the venue fully understands your access needs. This could be a specific seating preference, or getting the scoop on audio described performances.

Joining an Access Register is usually a straightforward process! It typically involves filling out a form and providing some evidence, like your CVI or a benefit entitlement letter. Once you’re on the register, your details will be on file, meaning the venue will know exactly how to support you and make your visit as enjoyable as possible.

Just a heads up: the steps for joining might differ from venue to venue. It’s always a good idea to check the specific process with each one.

Here’s something useful to know: many venues will accept the Nimbus Disability Access Card as evidence. If you attend performances at Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) venues, you can use the Nimbus application process to join their Access Register, and even opt to purchase an Access Card at the same time.

Did you know that if you’re registered severely sight impaired , you can get a 50% discount on your TV licence? This discount doesn’t just cover you, it extends to everyone else in your household! With the necessary evidence, you’re all set to enjoy this great concession.

If you’re registered sight impaired, you unfortunately won’t be eligible. Eligibility is solely based on your registration as severely sight impaired.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit designed to help you cover the additional costs that can come with being disabled.

Eligibility for PIP is based on how well you can manage certain tasks, which are split into two categories: daily living and mobility. If you have sight loss, you might be eligible for PIP if you find it difficult to plan and follow a route without support, or if you need help accessing visual information like printed text, whether from another person or with the help of tools such as smartphone apps or scanners. These are just a couple of examples — there are many other ways you might qualify for PIP.

Applying for PIP starts with completing an application form. We won’t sugarcoat it: this form is quite detailed and can feel a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry! While we don’t offer direct help with PIP forms at Henshaws, we can refer you to organisations that do. The RNIB also has a fantastic PIP toolkit with helpful prompts for answering each question.

In addition to the form, you’ll need to submit relevant evidence. This can include your CVI, but we recommend also sending in any other documents that support your application. This could be other letters from an ophthalmologist or eye specialist, or award letters from other support schemes like Access To Work or Disabled Students’ Allowance.

Once you submit your application, the DWP may ask you to attend an assessment to discuss it in more detail. After that, the DWP will get in touch with their decision.

If you’re not happy with the outcome, don’t worry! You have the right to appeal and ask for a mandatory reconsideration.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) helps you care for a child under 16 who is disabled, including if they are visually impaired. It covers children who have mobility needs or require more support than others their age. DLA is split into two parts: care and mobility.

To apply, you’ll need to fill in a claim form. Once you submit your application, The DWP will usually contact you within three weeks regarding how long a decision will take. If you disagree with the decision, you have the right to ask for a mandatory reconsideration.

Attendance Allowance is a benefit that can support you if you are of state pension age or older, and are disabled resulting in you needing support from another person.

You do not have to be receiving support to be eligible for Attendance Allowance. Even if you aren’t receiving support, you will qualify if you need it. You will receive Attendance Allowance at a higher or lower rate, depending on the level of support you need.

To claim, you can fill in a form either online or by post. Once the DWP receives your claim, you will hear within three weeks when to expect a decision. Once you know the outcome, if you disagree with it, you have the right to request a mandatory reconsideration.

Attendance Allowance also means you may be able to claim other benefits: housing benefit, extra pension credit, and a council tax reduction.

Access To Work helps you or your employer cover extra costs to ensure you have the right support in the workplace if you’re disabled. For those with sight loss, this might include specialist equipment like refreshable Braille displays and headsets, software such as screen readers and magnification tools, travel to and from work, and even the employment of a support worker.

When the DWP awards you your grant, your award letter will outline all the support available to you. Access To Work operates on a reimbursement basis, meaning that once your support is in place, either you or your employer will need to purchase the necessary equipment or services first, and then you can claim the money back.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is available to help cover extra living costs if being disabled affects how much you can work. You can still work while claiming ESA, but you need to work fewer than 16 hours a week and earn less than £183.50 weekly.

To qualify for ESA, you must have worked previously and paid enough National Insurance contributions.

You can apply for ESA either online or by phone. Once you submit your application, the DWP will get in touch to guide you through the next steps. If you’re eligible, they’ll arrange an appointment with a work coach at your local Jobcentre Plus. This is usually over the phone, though they may arrange an in-person appointment for you if necessary.

If your claim is unsuccessful, the DWP will explain why, and you have the right to request a mandatory reconsideration if you feel the DWP made an incorrect decision.

Did you know that if you’re registered severely sight impaired, you can apply for Blind Person’s Allowance? This allows you to earn more than the standard allowance before paying income tax. All you need is certification from your doctor or ophthalmologist confirming your registration as severely sight impaired, and to be registered severely sight impaired with your local council.

Here’s another fantastic benefit: if you’re married or in a civil partnership and don’t use all of your allowance, you can transfer it to your spouse or partner, even if they aren’t blind! That’s great, right?

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a fantastic scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate students who need extra support if they’re disabled.

If you have sight loss, DSA can help cover the cost of specialist equipment, software, and even non-medical helpers like a mobility trainer or specialist note-taker. It can also support your travel to and from university, if that would help you attend university easier.

With the support and equipment through DSA, you’ll be able to study in a way that’s accessible and tailored to your needs.

At Henshaws, we believe in helping people live as independently as possible. For some, that includes having support from another person to live the life they choose. Your local authority can either arrange this support for you or offer direct payments. Direct payments allow you to organise and pay for the services yourself.

After social services determine you need care and/or support, direct payments give you control over the decisions about your support. This means it can be tailored to your needs and provided by people you hopefully feel comfortable with.

If you have sight loss, you might be eligible for a discount on your council tax if your home meets certain criteria. For example, if you have a room specifically set up for using specialist equipment, you could qualify. You can apply through your local authority. It’s a good idea to check with them directly for the specific eligibility criteria and application process.

Carer’s Allowance is a little different from the other benefits we’ve mentioned. It’s not for disabled people, but for those who care for a disabled person, for at least 35 hours a week.

Carer’s Allowance is means-tested. If you earn more than £151 a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses, you won’t be able to claim it.

The person you care for must also be receiving certain benefits, such as the daily living component of PIP, the middle or higher rate of the care component of DLA, or Attendance Allowance.