Bureaucratic dispute: 98-year-old has to provide proof of life for blind benefit!

Bureaucratic dispute: 98-year-old has to provide proof of life for blind benefit!

A current case from Hesse has brought into focus the challenges of bureaucratic requirements for relatives of people with visual impairments. The State Welfare Association of Hesse (LWV) regularly requires proof of life for the payment of blind benefit, which has led to a dispute over the proof requirements. The case concerns 98-year-old Hannelore Damm, who suffers from severe vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration and receives 167 euros in blind benefit per month.

Your son, Klaus Damm, applied for blindness benefit in September 2024 on the advice of the ophthalmologist and quickly received a positive decision. After his mother was classified in care level 3, he informed the LWV about the change. However, in May 2025, Klaus Damm received a questionnaire in which he was supposed to confirm information about his mother's eyesight, level of care and proof of life. The LWV required official confirmation from an authority, a doctor or a bank to provide proof of life.

Bureaucratic hurdles

Despite the release of the residents' registration office from confidentiality, which Klaus Damm requested, the LWV did not accept this. He finally received confirmation from his mother's doctor, which, however, indicated significant bureaucratic hurdles. A spokesman for the LWV explained that these strict requirements are necessary to prevent attempted fraud. In 2023 and 2024 there were reclaims in Hesse amounting to 313,000 euros and 273,000 euros respectively, which can be attributed to unreported deaths of those entitled to blind benefit.

The blind benefit in Hesse is a flat-rate benefit that is granted depending on the remaining level of vision. Blind people who have less than two percent vision receive 757 euros per month. In the case of deaf-blindness, this amount increases to 1,514 euros. For those with severe visual impairments, including Hannelore Damm, the blind allowance is 227 euros, although this sum is taken into account the care allowance.

Additional adjustments

The adjustments that are made when receiving care services are also particularly relevant. While care allowance is fully offset by the employers' liability insurance association against the blind allowance, this is not the case with care allowance according to Section 64a SGB XII, where 70 percent of the blind allowance is taken into account in the calculation. Furthermore, the blind allowance can be reduced in certain cases, for example if additional state benefits are received.

The case of Hannelore Damm and her son illustrates not only the bureaucratic requirements, but also the emotional and practical challenges that families of people with visual impairments face. This matter clearly shows how important clear communication and appropriate support is for affected families. Mercury reports that such bureaucratic hurdles have often led to confusion in the past and should be avoided in the future.

Overall, this case highlights the need for reforms in the handling of services for visually impaired people and raises the question of simplifying bureaucratic procedures so that those affected and their relatives are not placed under unnecessary strain. The market emphasizes that what is most important is the human component in order to find sustainable solutions to such problems.