The RNIB has won nearly £400,000 from the British Gas Energy Trust to fund its energy advice service for the next two years.
The money will also provide a new adviser specialising in welfare benefits to ensure people claim everything they can. They will support the sight loss advice team with benefit enquiries, which are increasingly complex.
The charity brought in a team of three energy specialist sight loss advisers in January last year in response to the cost of living crisis. More than six million households across the UK are in fuel poverty and blind and partially sighted people are more likely to struggle. They face extra costs related to disability and are more likely to live in poorer households, according to an RNIB survey in 2022.
The charity aims to support more than 1,000 people with energy and income maximisation advice and support.
Lyndsey Warren, head of advice at RNIB, said: “With support from British Gas Energy Trust, we have been able to provide specific advice around energy at a time when it’s needed most as a result of the cost of living crisis. This has been a lifeline for so many blind and partially sighted people living across the UK.
“Through this ongoing partnership with the trust, the project will continue to build a legacy of positive futures for people with sight loss, increasing financial resilience and ensuring no one has to face this cost of living crisis alone.”
For more information, call the RNIB helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit the RNIB.