Older woman fights for blind benefit: bureaucracy gets in the way!

Older woman fights for blind benefit: bureaucracy gets in the way!

Dispute over blind allowance is causing a stir in Hesse. The Hesse State Welfare Association (LWV) recently introduced an unusual bureaucratic step that poses challenges for many affected families. The focus is on 98-year-old Hannelore Damm, who suffers from age-related macular degeneration and receives 167 euros in blind benefit per month. Her son Klaus Damm successfully applied for blindness benefit for his mother in September 2024, but the situation has deteriorated dramatically since then.

Legal requirements stipulate that the LWV regularly requests proof of life in order to secure the payment of blind benefit. This measure is due to the many attempted frauds in recent years, as a spokesman for the LWV explains. There were repayments throughout Hesse amounting to 313,000 euros in 2023 and 273,000 euros in 2024. Klaus Damm received a questionnaire in May 2025 that asked him to indicate changes in vision, level of care or any eye operations that may have been carried out. However, this was just the beginning.

Proof of life and bureaucratic effort

Particularly crucial was the requirement that Klaus Damm had to prove that his mother was still alive. A confirmation from the residents' registration office, a doctor or even a bank should be presented. Although Klaus Damm released the residents' registration office from its duty of confidentiality, this was not accepted by the LWV. Instead, he had to rely on his mother's medical certificate to support the claim. At this point the complicated relationship between the needy and bureaucracy becomes clear and needs to be understood.

Blind benefit is granted in Hesse as a financial benefit to support people who need help in areas of life that are natural for sighted people. As a rule, the amount of blind benefit depends on the remaining vision, with blind people with less than 2% remaining vision and severely visually impaired people with a maximum of 5% eligible. Hannelore Damm falls into the severely visually impaired category, which means she receives a monthly allowance of 167 euros. For completely blind people, the blind allowance is 757 euros, while deaf-blind people are supported with up to 1,514 euros. These regulations can be of enormous financial importance for many affected people, especially if additional care services are required.

The relevance of blind allowance

What many people may not be aware of is that blindness benefit is paid in all federal states, but the regulations can vary greatly. People with a severely disabled person's ID card are entitled to this benefit, which is paid directly to blind and severely visually impaired people who normally live in Hesse. In other federal states, similar benefits, such as assistance for the blind, can also be applied for under certain conditions; Income and financial circumstances play a crucial role here.

• Blindengeld: 167 Euro für stark Sehbehinderte, 757 Euro für Blinde und 1514 Euro für Taubblinde in Hessen.
• Regelungen: Verschiedene gesetzliche Vorgaben je nach Bundesland.
• Rückforderungen: 313.000 Euro (2023) und 273.000 Euro (2024) wegen Betrugsversuchen.

The scandal surrounding the life certificates has not only affected the Damm family, but also sheds light on the challenges that many people in need of care and their relatives face in Hesse. It remains to be seen whether the LWV's decisions will lead to further bureaucratic alienation or whether new regulations will be found that offer both security and the necessary respect for the realities of those affected. Mercury reports that the discussion about the extensive bureaucracy and the necessary burden of proof has only just begun. At a time when support and understanding are needed, the big questions on this topic seem to be looming more than ever. Further information can also be found on the website LWV Hesse as well as that Care portal.