If you are in the UK and in need of a blind person’s allowance, This guide has everything that you need to know about the basics of this allowance. To begin with the discussion, one must be aware of the fact that it is a tax-free allowance that can be claimed by those who are registered as blind or severely sight impaired in the UK. The amount of allowance you can claim depends on the tax year and your circumstances. In the tax year 2023/24, the allowance is £2,870. If you are entitled to the allowance, it will be automatically included in your tax code by HMRC.
In case of being entitled to it but still could not get the benefit, you can contact HMRC to make a claim. You will be in need to provide an evident document of your registration as blind or severely sight impaired, such as a certificate from your local council. Once your claim has been processed, the allowance will be added to your tax code and you will receive the allowance as a reduction in the amount of income tax you have to pay. Let us start the discussion to learn more.
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How to Define a Blind Person’s Allowance?
Blind Person’s Allowance is a tax-free allowance in the UK that can be claimed by those who are registered as blind or severely sight impaired. It is a form of income tax relief that is allowed to be claimed to the personal allowance.
Moreover, the Blind Person’s Allowance is currently £2,870 for the 2023/24 tax year. This means that if you are registered blind or severely sight impaired, you can earn up to a certain limit amount before you have to pay income tax. In case of not being able to use the allowance amount, this can be easily transferred to the spouse or your partner.
Who is Eligible for the Blind Person’s Allowance?
To be eligible for the Blind Person’s Allowance in the UK, you must be done with the registration process of you as blind or severely sight impaired with your local council. The allowance is available to those who are either completely blind or have very limited eyesight. If you are partially sighted, you may be eligible for the Partially Sighted Person’s Allowance, which is a different type of tax relief. The Blind Person’s Allowance can be claimed in addition to the personal allowance, which is the amount of income you can earn before you have to pay income tax.
Can I Transfer the Unused Allowance to My Partner or Spouse?
Once you get yourself registered as a blind person in the UK and do not pay tax, you are fully allowed to transfer your Blind Person’s Allowance to your spouse or civil partner. This is called the Transferrable Blind Person’s Allowance. The amount that can be transferred is an amount of £2,870 for the 2023/24 tax year.
This means that your spouse or civil partner can receive the allowance as an additional tax-free amount that they can earn before they have to pay income tax. To transfer the allowance, you must make a claim to HMRC and your spouse or civil partner must be paying tax.
What Will You Get?
As mentioned earlier that the Blind Person’s Allowance is a tax-free allowance that can be claimed by people who are registered as blind in the UK. The amount of allowance you can claim depends on the tax year and your circumstances. The allowance can be claimed in addition to the personal allowance, which is the amount of income you are allowed to earn before you are entitled to pay the amount of income tax.
The amount of Blind Person’s Allowance is £2,870 in the 2023/24 tax year. If you are entitled to the allowance, it will be automatically included in your tax code by HMRC. If you have not received the allowance even if you are entitled to it, you can contact HMRC to make a claim.
How to Claim the Blind Person’s Allowance?
To claim Blind Person’s Allowance, you will need to contact HMRC and provide evidence of your registration as blind or severely sight impaired. This can be a certificate from your local council or a statement from an ophthalmologist or optometrist. You can always get in touch with HMRC on the online forum or over a phone call.
Once your claim has been processed, the allowance will be added to your tax code and you will receive the allowance as a reduction in the amount of income tax you have to pay. In case you are a part of the employment, your employer will be informed of the change to your tax code.
The Bottom Line
As discussed if you are registered as blind or severely sight impaired in the UK, you may be entitled to the Blind Person’s Allowance. The amount of allowance you can claim depends on the tax year and your circumstances. To claim the allowance, you will need to contact HMRC and provide evidence of your registration as blind or severely sight impaired.
Once your claim has been processed, the allowance will be added to your tax code and you will receive the allowance as a reduction in the amount of income tax you have to pay. We hope these few minutes of reading will help you to develop a better understanding of maximising the benefits of the blind person’s allowance in the UK as a citizen.
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Disclaimer: All the information provided in this article on blind person’s allowance in the UK, including all the texts and graphics, is general in nature. It does not intend to disregard any of the professional advice.