SPECIAL RULES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND (SSDI)

How they help

Work incentives, in general, are special rules that help people, who are blind and people with other disabilities, return to work or work for the first time. Some of the rules apply only to people who are blind. These rules are designed specifically to make it easier for people who are blind to go to work.

NOTE: Blindness is defined as central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction which has lasted or is expected to last a year or longer.

A. How SGA is Applied to Persons Who Are Blind

How SGA is applied to blind beneficiaries who work

The SGA level for beneficiaries who are blind changes each year to reflect changes in general wage levels. For example, in 1999 the SGA level for people who are blind is $1110 per month.  This amount is higher than the SGA level of $700 a month that applies to non- blind disabled workers.

How SGA is applied to self-employed beneficiaries who are blind

Self-employed persons who are blind are evaluated for SGA on the sole criterion of earnings. A separate evaluation of the time spent in the business is not made as it is for non-blind self-employed persons.

How SGA is applied to blind beneficiaries who are age 55 or older

After attaining age 55, if earnings exceed the SGA guidelines but the work done requires a lower level of skill and ability than that done before age 55, then benefits are only suspended, not terminated. Therefore, eligibility for Social Security benefits may continue indefinitely and benefits may be paid for any month earnings fall below SGA.

NOTE: Impairment-related work expense(s) deductions apply to blind SSDI beneficiaries who work.

B. Blind Work Expenses (SSI)

What it does

Any earned income which a person who is blind uses to meet expenses needed to earn that income is not counted in determining SSI eligibility and the payment amount if the person is:

·         Under age 65; or

·         Age 65 or older and received SSI payments due to blindness (or received payments under a former state plan for aid to the blind) for the month before he or she attained age 65.

Because the blind work expenses work incentive is more advantageous, impairment-related work expenses do not apply to the blind SSI beneficiary who works.

NOTE: The expenses do not need to be related to the person's blindness.

Examples of blind work expenses

Some examples of blind work expenses are:

·         Dog guide expenses;

·         Transportation to and from work;

·         Federal, state and local income taxes;

·         Social Security taxes;

·         Attendant care services;

·         Visual and sensory aids;

·         Translation of materials into braille;

·         Professional association fees; and

·         Union dues.

NOTE: The above listing is not all-inclusive.

How blind work expenses are used to figure SSI payments

Blind work expenses are used to reduce the amount of earnings which is counted when figuring the SSI payment amount. The following example shows how the blind work expense exclusion affects a person's SSI payments. This example uses the same circumstances as Example 2 under the SSI "Earned Income Exclusion," except this person also has blind work expenses of $40 per month.

Example

      $161 (Earned income)

             -20 (General income exclusion)

             ----

            $141

             -65 (Earned income exclusion)

             ----

            $ 76

              /2 (1/2 of remaining earned income)

             ----

            $ 38

             -40 (Blind work expenses)

             ----     

            $  0 (Countable income)

            $458 (1995 Federal Benefit Rate)

              -0 (Countable income)

             ----

            $458 (SSI payment)

Available Income:

                          $161 (Earned income)

                          +458 (SSI)

                          ----

                          $619 (Total income)

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