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Eligibility for DSP if you’re permanently blind
To get DSP if you’re permanently blind, you must meet both:
- medical rules
- non-medical rules.
To meet the DSP permanent blindness medical rules, you must have one of the following:
- visual acuity on the Snellen Scale after correction by suitable lenses of less than 6/60 in both eyes
- constriction to within 10 degrees of fixation in the better eye irrespective of corrected visual acuity
- a combination of visual defects resulting in the same degree of visual impairment of less than 6/60 in both eyes or within 10 degrees of fixation in the better eye.
If you have a vision impairment but don’t meet these rules, you may still be eligible for DSP.
You’ll also need to meet the non-medical rules such as age and residency.
Guide to help you understand the rules
You can use our DSP pre-claim guide to help you decide whether to claim DSP. It won’t tell you if you’ll get DSP.
If you’re not already getting DSP, you will need to submit a claim and give us medical evidence, either a:
- Request for Ophthalmologist/Optometrist Report (SA013)
- report or evidence which provides the same information as the SA013 form.
The medical evidence must show support from a treating ophthalmologist.
If you’re already getting DSP, you only need to give us your medical evidence so we can assess it for permanent blindness.
Income and Assets
If you’re getting DSP because you’re permanently blind, your payment is not income and asset tested unless you:
- are also claiming Rent Assistance
- got a compensation payment
- are being paid under an International Agreement and getting a foreign pension.
Your income and asset information must be provided if you have a partner and they are:
- claiming or getting an income support payment
- not permanently blind themselves
- permanently blind and getting Rent Assistance.
Your income and assets details are used to work out your partner’s payment rate.
Working while getting DSP if you’re permanently blind
If you’re working, you don’t have to tell us the hours you work or report your employment income each fortnight unless you get Rent Assistance.
If you have a partner getting their own payment, they may need to tell us this information when they report. Read more about working while getting DSP.
Get a Pensioner Concession Card (PCC)
If you get DSP because you’re permanently blind, you will get a PCC. Read about the benefits of a PCC.
Get help from a nominee
If you need help to deal with us, you can arrange for someone to deal with us on your behalf.
Claim Age Pension if you’re permanently blind
If you are Age Pension age and permanently blind, you should check Age Pension for eligibility information.