RNIB challenge leads to change for blind person’s allowance

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has been working closely with HMRC to provide the best support for people with sight loss who need extra help understanding their tax and claiming their entitlements.

After calls to RNIB’s tax advice team from customers asking for help with claiming and transferring the blind person’s allowance to their spouse the team found that in two cases HMRC had refused to transfer the allowance because one person in each couple was living in a care home. Its guidance only allows blind person’s allowance to be transferred where a couple is ‘living together’.

RNIB successfully challenged this decision on the grounds that ‘living together’ for income tax purposes includes couples where one of them is living in a care home. 

A 575 form has to be completed to transfer the blind person’s tax allowance between spouses and civil partners. RNIB explained the difficulties...