The Blind Person's Allowance, a HMRC rule, adds £3,250 to the standard £12,570 personal allowance, taking the total tax-free income to £15,820 for eligible individuals. This comes as Andy Burnham has said there is no immediate commitment to increase the income tax personal allowance as a means of easing the cost of living, after reinstating a £2 cap on bus fares across England to help struggling households.
Andy Burnham's position on the personal allowance
Mr Burnham, the Labour Party prime minister, suggested that increasing the HMRC £12,570 tax-free personal allowance would be something that the government will look at in the budget this year. Last month, he suggested he was open to increasing the income tax allowance as a means of easing cost-of-living pressures, after claiming "frustration" about it had come up while knocking doors during the Makerfield by-election. However, he later rowed back, stating there is no immediate commitment.
How the Blind Person's Allowance works
The Blind Person's Allowance is added to your yearly Personal Allowance, which is the amount of money you can earn before you start paying Income Tax. The rate for this year is £3,250, which takes the personal tax-free allowance above £15,000 to £15,820. You can claim Blind Person's Allowance if both of the following apply: you're registered with your local council as blind or severely sight impaired, and you have a certificate that says you're blind or severely sight impaired (or a similar document from your doctor).
Transferring the allowance to a spouse or partner
You can transfer your Blind Person's Allowance to your spouse or civil partner if you do not pay tax or cannot use all of it. This can be done if you're married or in a civil partnership, or if you're living with your spouse or civil partner, whether or not your spouse or civil partner is blind. You can still transfer your allowance if you're unable to live with your spouse or civil partner because of illness or old age, for example where your spouse or partner is in residential care, working away from home, on an armed forces posting, in prison, or in training or education.
