Thousands are claiming the benefit worth up to £627 extra each month

Sign up to FREE email alerts from the Money Saving Club

Bad eyesight is always something that usually costs you a lot of money - with aids, glasses and contact lenses. But you could actually be entitled to a monthly cash boost for having eye problems which affect your vision.

For adults that lose their sight in later life, it can be very distressing as they feel they are no longer able to enjoy some of the activities they love to do such as driving, baking and reading. Personal Independence Payment figures released by the DWP show that at the end of April, there were 54,431 people claiming support for a visual disease, impairment or condition, across the UK.

You could get up to £627 each month - or £7,524 annually - for some of the most serious cases.

The most common eye conditions that PIP claimants are living with include:

READ MORE Man and wheelchair-bound wife can't afford to drive their car

If you have daily living and, or mobility needs, because of a sight condition or low vision, you may be eligible for PIP and should consider making a claim.

If you use a white cane - long or short - to help you safely move around outside, you could be eligible for the enhanced rate of the mobility component which is worth £64.50 a week or £258 each pay period (every four weeks).

The legal question on the ‘How Your Disability Affects You’ PIP claim form awards 12 points if you answer ‘yes’ to the following:

The following list is provided by the DWP and are the main disabling eye conditions for which people are claiming PIP. This is recorded at the time of assessment.

To be eligible for PIP, you must have a health condition or disability where you:

have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months

expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months

You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.

In addition to what we have outlined above if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP - or Adult Disability Payment, depending on where you live.

There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the GOV.UK website here.

The DWP will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will look at:

PIP is usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly.

PIP will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.

Adult Disability Payment will be paid at the same rates as PIP.

You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.

PIP is made up of two components:

Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you.

READ MORE Primark shoppers' disbelief for £14 'Versace heels' worth £1,100

You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:

You will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need.

Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments - it's important to be aware that there is no choice here, it's up to the health professional and DWP.

Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant - find out more about the changes here.

You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here.