Amendment of regulation 12 of the Social Security (Disability Living Allowance) Regulations2

After regulation 12(1) of the Social Security (Disability Living Allowance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19925 insert—

1A

For the purposes of section 73(1AB)(a) (mobility component for the severely visually impaired) a person is to be taken to satisfy the condition that he has a severe visual impairment if—

a

he has visual acuity, with appropriate corrective lenses if necessary, of less than 3/60; or

b

he has visual acuity of 3/60 or more, but less than 6/60, with appropriate corrective lenses if necessary, a complete loss of peripheral visual field and a central visual field of no more than 10 degrees in total.

1B

For the purposes of section 73(1AB)(b), the conditions are that he has been certified as severely sight impaired or blind by a consultant ophthalmologist.

1C

For the purposes of paragraph (1A)—

a

references to visual acuity are to be read as references to the combined visual acuity of both eyes in cases where a person has both eyes;

b

references to measurements of visual acuity are references to visual acuity measured on the Snellen Scale; and

c

references to visual field are to be read as references to the combined visual field of both eyes in cases where a person has both eyes.