Around 188,000 people in Scotland are affected by some form of sight loss with that figure expected to double by 2031, according to the charity, Sight Scotland, formerly known as Royal Blind.
Three out of four people with a visual impairment are aged over 65 with around 8,000 people of working age registered blind or partially sighted.For adults that lose their sight in later life, it can be very distressing as they feel they are no longer able to enjoy some of the activities they love to do, such as driving, taking part in sports, reading and cooking.
Mobility can also be affected and with that comes independence and travel issues.Across Great Britain, there are around two million people living with a sight loss condition or degenerative eye conditions.
Some 57,180 working age adults under 65 are receiving extra financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) while 44,614 people over State Pension age are getting weekly help through Attendance Allowance.There are over 45 eye conditions affecting adults across the country, these include:If you, or someone you know, under State Pension age has a sight condition, you should consider making a new claim for PIP or ADP - find out more here.If you, or someone you know, is over State Pension age and living with a sight condition, even really high myopia, you should consider making a claim for Attendance Allowance.Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit currently supporting more than 1.4million people across Great Britain, including 125,279 living in Scotland.
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