Just to sum up, benefits she may be able to get are:

1. Disability Living Allowance
a) Care component - probably the 'middle' care component.  The definitions
are fairly obscure but basically to get this you would have a reasonable
need for some assistance in relation to everyday living needs at different
times of day.
b) Mobility component - possibly the 'lower' component on the basis that you
would need 'guidance', say directions or help with reading signs, on
unfamiliar routes.

Disability Living Allowance is very helpful as it is not taxed, and not
counted as income for the purposes of student support or means-tested
welfare benefits.  It is also a passport to getting Income Support, Housing
Benefit and Council Tax Benefit as a full-time student, and all of these at
an increased level with the addition of a disability premium.  As has been
mentioned Housing Benefit is not payable for university accommodation.

2. Income Support.

3. Housing Benefit.

4. Council Tax Benefit.

5. Severe Disablement Allowance. This is a weekly income benefit which is
not means tested.  She would have to be 'incapable of work' to get this.
You are deemed incapable of work if you are registered blind.  There is no
limit to the amount you can study and still be incapable of work for the
purposes of Severe Disablement Allowance (unless you are under 19, in which
case there is a limit of 21 hours of time-tabled study).  The government is
about to remove eligibility for this benefit from new claimants over 25
years old, and increase its value a lot, so it might be a good idea to claim
the benefit now while she can (if she can).

If you ring the Benefits Enquiry Line for an application pack an application
can be backdated for up to 6 weeks - call 0800 882 200, or, for Braille or
large print packs, 0800 441 144.

Skill's Information Leaflets on Income Support, Housing and Council Tax
Benefit and Incapacity benefits and studying are available on our website:
www.Skill.org.uk.

Maybe one of the following could help with form filling:
Northamptonshire Association for the Blind, tel: 01604 719 193.
Northamptonshire Council for the Disabled, tel: 01604 24088.
Northamptonshire Disability Information Programme, tel: 0345 581 706.

Hope this helps...

Information Service.


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