Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981

Blind Pension

Right to pension and statutory conditions.

[1976 (No. 2), s. 13; 1980, s. 4]

175.—(1) Every blind person who has attained the age of 18 years shall be entitled to receive and to continue to receive such pension (in this Act referred to as a blind pension) as under this Chapter he would be entitled to receive if he had attained pensionable age, and the provisions of this Chapter and of section 4 as to expenses shall apply in all respects in the case of such person subject to the following modifications—

(a) for the statutory condition contained in section 159 (1) (a) there shall be substituted the condition that the person must be a person who has attained the age of 18 years and satisfies the pension authorities that he is so blind that either he cannot perform any work for which eyesight is essential or that he cannot continue his ordinary occupation; and

(b) for the statutory condition contained in section 159 (1) (b) there shall be substituted the condition that the person shall satisfy the pension authorities that, since reaching the age of 10 years, he has had his residence in the State for an aggregate period of 5 years, and the provisions of section 159 (2) in relation to the interpretation of section 159 (1) shall apply to the interpretation of the condition imposed by this paragraph.

(2) A blind person in respect of whom a pension is payable under this section shall not be a qualified child for the purposes of this Act.