Blind Benefits
There are special rules for people who are blind or have low vision.
SSA considers you to be legally blind under Social Security rules if your vision
cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye, or if your visual
field is 20 degrees or less, even with a corrective lens. Many people who meet the
legal definition of blindness still have some sight, and may be able to read large
print and get around without a cane or a guide dog. If you do not meet the legal
definition of blindness, you may still qualify for disability benefits if your vision
problems alone or combined with other health problems prevent you from working.
There are a number of special rules for people who are blind that recognize the
severe impact of blindness on a person's ability to work. For example, the monthly
earnings limit for people who are blind is generally higher than the limit that
applies to non-blind disabled workers. This amount changes each year. In 2007, it
was $1,500. In 2008, that amount increases to $1,570.
For Social Security disability benefits, you also must have worked long enough in a job where you paid Social Security taxes. For SSI payments based on disability and blindness, you need not have worked, but your income and resources must be under certain dollar limits.
How you qualify for Social Security disability benefits
When you work and pay Social Security taxes, you earn credits that count toward
future Social Security benefits. If you are legally blind, you can earn credits
anytime during your working years. Credits for your work after you become blind
can be used to qualify you for benefits if you do not have enough credits at the
time you become blind. Also, if you do not have enough credits to get Social Security
disability benefits based on your own earnings, you may be able to get benefits
based on the earnings of one of your parents or your spouse.
There is a special rule that may help you get higher retirement or disability benefits some day. You can use this rule if you are legally blind but are not getting disability benefits now because you are still working. If your earnings are lower because of your blindness, SSA can exclude those years when they calculate your Social Security retirement or disability benefit in the future. Because Social Security benefits are based on your average lifetime earnings, your benefit will be higher if they do not count those years. They call this rule a “disability freeze.” Contact us if you want to file for this “freeze.”
A number of rules make it easier for people receiving disability benefits to work. These rules are called “work incentives.” People getting Social Security disability benefits can continue to receive their benefits when they work as long as their earnings are not more than an amount set by law. If you are receiving Social Security disability benefits and you are legally blind, you can earn as much as $1,570 a month in 2008. This is higher than the earnings limit of $940 a month that applies to disabled workers who are not blind. The earnings limits change each year. Additionally, if you are blind and self-employed, they do not evaluate the time you spend working in your business as they do for people who are not blind. This means you can be doing a lot of work for your business, but still receive disability benefits, as long as your net profit averages $1,570 or less a month in 2008. If you are age 55 or older and legally blind, they determine your ability to work differently than they do for people who are not blind. After age 55, even if your earnings exceed $1,570 a month in 2008, benefits are only suspended, not terminated, if the work you are doing requires a lower level of skill and ability than what you did before you reached 55.They will pay you disability benefits for any month your earnings fall below this limit.
There are a number of services and products specifically designed for people
who are blind.
You can choose to receive letters in several ways. Just let them know which option
you prefer. You can receive your letters:
By regular mail only;
By regular mail followed by a telephone call to explain the information in the letter;
or
By certified mail.
If you have a question about a Social Security letter, you may call us.
SSA provides special tapes of their publications to local radio stations that offer
reading services for their blind and low-vision listeners. To find out which stations
in your area provide radio reading services, you should call us. Many of their publications
are available in Braille, audio cassette tapes, compact disks or in enlarged print
for people who are blind or visually impaired.
