On Monday 24 April, Stephen joined a cost-of-living parliamentary drop-in hosted by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). RNIB is urgently calling for more support for people with sight loss to cope with energy bills and a review of benefits so people can afford an adequate standard of living.
57 MPs joined the event, which was hosted in the Attlee Suite in Parliament. The event included an interactive board game, a quiz, and demonstrations of equipment used by blind and partially sighted people to maintain their independence to help parliamentarians understand the additional challenges faced by people with sight loss due to the cost-of-living crisis.
One-in-five blind and partially sighted people said they had difficulty making ends meet before prices began to rise. Increases in the cost-of-living since have only made this situation worse. The crisis especially hurts those with sight loss due to their reliance on assistive technology, a greater need for taxi journeys, support in their home, extra lighting, and much more.
RNIB is asking the Government to develop and implement a social tariff on energy bills, to offer additional support to partially sighted people, and to review and rebase benefit rates.
Speaking after the event, Stephen said, “The cost-of-living crisis is raising the cost of sight loss, making an adequate standard of living unachievable for too many people. I am supporting RNIB’s calls to the Government to lessen the financial pressures faced by those with sight loss.”
If you are living with vision impairment, or know someone who is living with vision impairment, you can contact RNIB’s helpline for support through their helpline (0303 123 9999), website, or email. You can also contact Stephen for support on 020 7219 4000 or via email.
