Social Security... If You Are Blind How We Can help


What's Inside

Part 1--General Information
Two Disability Programs 
What Do We Mean By  Blind  
Are You Eligible For Social Security  Disability Benefits? 
Are You Eligible For SSI Disability Benefits? 
How To Get A Faster Decision On Your  Claim 
Evaluating Your Medical Condition 

Part 2--What Happens When You Work While Receiving Benefits 
Working While Receiving Social Security Benefits 
An Example Of How Social Security Work Incentives Can Help You
Working While Receiving Supplemental Security Income Benefits
An Example of How SSI Work Incentives Can Help You

Part 3--Special Services For People Who Are Blind
Social Security Letters
Radio Reading Service
Library of Congress Talking Book And Braille Booklet
Audio Cassette On Work Incentives
Publications Available in Braille


Social Security s Toll-Free Number 1-800-772-1213


Note: This publication is also available in braille and on
cassette tape. 


Part 1--General Information

If you are blind, there are a number of Social Security rules you
should know about. Some of the rules apply only to people who are
blind, while others apply to nonblind persons as well. But
they're important to know because they can help you qualify for
Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Once
you're getting benefits, they can help supplement your monthly
payments and increase your chances of getting back to work on a
regular basis or entering the workplace for the first time. In
fact, many of the special rules are designed specifically to make
it easier for people who are blind to work.

This leaflet will help you understand the rules so you can use
them to help meet your life goals. We also identify those
services that are available to help you get the most out of the
Social Security and SSI programs.

Two Disability Programs

You should start by understanding the difference between Social
Security and SSI and how they work together to provide a floor of
income protection for people with disabilities. You can qualify
for Social Security if you have enough prior work. You qualify
for SSI payments if your income and resources, even with Social
Security benefits, fall below certain limits. The medical rules
we use to decide if you qualify for benefits because of blindness
are the same under both programs. However, other rules are
different under each program. For this reason, this booklet is
generally divided into Social Security and SSI sections to
clarify the different rules. 

What Do We Mean By "Blind"
 
You also should know the medical definition of blindness under
Social Security.  You are considered 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 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 guide dog. If
you do not meet the legal definition of blindness, you still may
qualify for benefits if your vision problems coupled with other
health problems prevent you from doing substantial work. 

Are You Eligible For Social Security Disability Benefits?

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have
worked long enough in a job where you paid Social Security taxes.
Or, you must be the disabled child or disabled widow(er) of
somebody who did. When you work, you earn "credits"--up to four
per year--that count toward future Social Security benefits.
 
The number of credits you need depends on your age at the time
you are determined to be disabled by blindness. As a general
rule, you must have credits equal to the number of years after
1950, or age 21 if later, up to the year you are determined to be
disabled based on blindness. Blind persons under 28 need no more
than six credits of work. If you become legally blind at age 41,
you need 20 credits. Nobody needs more than 40 credits.

Nonblind people must meet another requirement. They must have
earned half of the credits they need in recent years. For
example, people over 31 must have earned 20 credits during the
past 10 years. If you are blind, you do not have to meet this
recent work rule. Your credits can be earned anytime during your
working years.  Credits for your work after you become blind can
be used to qualify for benefits if you do not have enough credits
at the time you become blind.

Even if you are working regularly, you might want to file for a
Social Security disability "freeze" if you meet the legal
definition of blindness. Under this procedure, you won't get
benefits now, but your benefits will be higher if you do become
eligible later. 

Are You Eligible For SSI Disability Benefits?

Regardless of whether you have enough work credits to qualify for
Social Security, you may qualify for SSI disability benefits.  To
get SSI, you need not have worked under Social Security, but your
income and resources must be under certain limits.  The income
limits vary from one state to another. For more information about
SSI, ask your Social Security office about the income limits in
your area and for a copy of the booklet SSI (Publication No.
05-11000).  This booklet is also available in braille from Social
Security offices and as part of a talking book from the Library
of Congress.

How To Get A Faster Decision On Your Claim

You should apply at any Social Security office as soon as you
become disabled. (You may file by phone, mail, or by visiting the
nearest office.)

The claims process for disability benefits is generally longer
than for other types of Social Security benefits--from 60 to 90
days. It takes longer to obtain medical information and to assess
the nature of the disability in terms of your ability to work. 
However, you can help shorten the process by bringing certain
documents with you when you apply. These include:

* Medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals,
clinics, and caseworkers.

* The Social Security number and proof of age for each person
applying for payments. This includes your spouse and children, if
they are applying for benefits.

* Names, addresses, and phone numbers of doctors, hospitals,
clinics, and institutions that treated you and dates of
treatment.

* A summary of where you worked in the past 15 years and the kind
of work you did.

* A copy of your W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement), or if you are
self-employed, your federal tax return for the past year.

* Dates of any prior marriages if your spouse is applying.

Your Social Security disability benefits will not begin to arrive
until the sixth full month of the disability. This "waiting
period" begins with the first full month after the date we decide
your disability began. 

If you are applying for SSI, you also need to bring with you
information about your living arrangements such as the name of
your mortgage company or a copy of your lease with your
landlord's name; and information about your income and the things
you own, such as payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies,
car registration, and burial fund records.

Your SSI disability check can be paid back to the date you filed
your claim.

Do not delay filing for benefits just because you do not have all
of the information you need. The Social Security office will be
glad to help you.

Evaluating Your Medical Condition

You should be familiar with the process we use to decide if you
are legally blind or otherwise disabled. After the Social
Security office reviews your claim to make sure you meet the
non-medical rules, your application goes to a state disability
determination service (DDS) where the medical evaluation takes
place. In the DDS, a team consisting of a physician and a
disability evaluation specialist will decide if you are legally
blind. This generally means reviewing medical evidence from your
doctors or the hospitals, clinics, or institutions where you have
been treated. If this information is not available or incomplete,
you may be asked to see a doctor for an examination which we will
pay for. 

Once we decide that you are legally blind, we will notify you
that your claim has been approved. If you do not meet Social
Security's definition of blindness, then we decide if your visual
impairment, plus any other impairment you may have, prevents you
from doing the work you did in the last 15 years. If it does not,
your claim will be denied. If it does, we look to see if you can
do any other type of work. We consider your age, education, past
work experience, and transferable skills. If you cannot do any
other kind of work, your claim will be approved.

Part 2--What Happens When You Work While Receiving Benefits

A number of rules make it easier for persons receiving disability
benefits to work and supplement their benefits and eventually
work full time. The provisions are called "work incentives." 
While these rules in general are not geared solely to persons who
are blind, they do provide a means for persons who are blind to
increase their income and work their way off the disability
rolls.

The Social Security and SSI work incentives are different but
they are designed to accomplish the same objectives: to continue
cash benefits until you are earning enough to get by on your own;
to continue health care assistance (Medicare and/or Medicaid)
even when earnings are too high to allow cash payments; to
exclude from earnings the cost of extra work expenses caused by
your disability; and to help with rehabilitation and finding new
work. We will briefly explain each of these special rules and
provide an example of how they work under both Social Security
and SSI. 

For more information on these provisions, you should ask for the
booklet "Working While Disabled--How We Can Help" (Publication
No. 05-10095). This booklet is available in braille from Social
Security. A more detailed and technical explanation of work
incentives is available in the publication "A Summary Guide to
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income Work Incentives
for People With Disabilities" (Publication No. 64-030).This
booklet is available in braille and on cassette tape from Social
Security.

Working While Receiving Social Security Benefits

People getting Social Security disability benefits can continue
to receive their benefits when they return to work as long as
their earnings are not "substantial." 

You Can Earn More
Under the Social Security disability program, persons who are
blind can earn up to $960 a month in 1996 before their work is
considered "substantial."  This is higher than the substantial
work level of $500 a month that applies to nonblind disabled
workers. The level of earnings a person who is blind can earn
changes each year to reflect changes in general wage levels. 

If you're blind and self-employed, the $960 level becomes the
sole measure of substantial work. We do not make a separate
evaluation of the time you spend in the business as we do for
nonblind beneficiaries. 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 $960 or less a month in 1996.

Work Figured Differently After 55

If you are 55 or older, we figure your ability to perform
substantial work differently. After age 55, even if your earnings
exceed  $960 a month in 1996, benefits are only suspended, not
terminated, if your work requires a lower level of skill and
ability than what you did before age 55. Thus, eligibility for
Social Security benefits may continue indefinitely and benefits
may be paid for any month your earnings fall below the
substantial level. 

The Trial Work Period 
A trial work period provides a beneficiary up to nine months to
test his or her ability to work and earn any amount without fear
of losing benefits. The nine months need not be consecutive, and
the
trial work period does not end until nine months are used within
a 60-month period. 

After the trial work period, your benefits will continue if your
earnings are $960 or less a month in 1996. If your earnings
exceed $960, benefits continue for three more months and then
stop.

If you are 55 or older, the trial work period rules may affect
you differently. You should contact your local Social Security
office if you have any further questions.

The Extended Period Of Eligibility 
For 36 months after a successful trial work period, your Social
Security benefits may be reinstated without a new application for
any month your earnings drop to $960 or below. 

Impairment-Related Work Expenses Rule
This rule permits you to deduct impairment-related work expenses
resulting from your blindness (such as the expense of paying for
a sighted reader) from your income before we decide if it is
substantial.

Continuation Of Medicare Coverage 
This rule removes the fear of losing health care benefits due to
work by continuing Medicare's premium-free hospital insurance
coverage for at least 39 months after the end of the trial work
period. 

Medicare Coverage For Disabled People Who Work 
At the end of the 39-month period, people who continue to have a
disability and who lose Medicare hospital insurance coverage
because earnings are substantial are permitted to purchase
Medicare hospital and medical insurance coverage.

Continued Payment Under An Approved Rehabilitation Program
Despite Medical Recovery 
Ordinarily, benefits stop when a person shows sufficient medical
improvement.  Under this rule, benefits may continue after
medical recovery if the person is participating in an approved
vocational rehabilitation program whose services are likely to
enable the person to work permanently. A person involved in such
a program who had a successful eye operation, for example, could
continue to receive benefits and complete the program even though
he/she was no longer blind. 

An Example Of How Social Security Work Incentives Can Help You

Cathy Jones is 26 years old and receives $460 each month in
Social Security benefits because she is blind. Cathy also has
Medicare coverage. In December 1994, Cathy completes a
secretarial training course and gets a job in January 1995. She
is hired by a local hospital to work 35 hours a week as a medical
transcriber trainee. Her starting salary is $750 per month.

Cathy reports her work and earnings to the Social Security office
and learns that her benefits will continue during her nine-month
trial work period regardless of how much she earns. Her monthly
$750 in earnings, and her Social Security benefit of $460
increases her income to $1,210.

Cathy contacts the Social Security office in September to report
that she is completing her ninth trial work period month
(September 1995). She also increased her hours to 40 hours per
week and has received a pay raise. She is now earning $1,000 per
month, which is more than the $940 substantial earnings level
allowed for beneficiaries who are blind.

However, in evaluating her earnings, it is discovered that Cathy
is paying a co-worker $25 a week ($100 a month) to take her to
and from work because she does not have access to public
transportation. This $100 qualifies as an impairment-related work
expense. After subtracting the $100 per month, we find that Cathy
has countable earnings of $900 per month which is less than the
blind substantial earnings level of $940. Consequently,  Cathy's
payments continue though she completed her trial work period in
September. Her monthly income is $460 plus $1,000 or $1,460.

In December 1995, Cathy contacts the Social Security office to
let us know that she has received another pay raise because she
has been promoted from the trainee position. Her monthly earnings
beginning in January 1996 will be $1,200 per month, and her
transportation cost (her only impairment-related expense) remains
at $100. Cathy's countable income is now $1,100 per month, more
than the $960 blind substantial work level for 1996. For this
reason, her Social Security disability benefit is stopped as of
January 1996, but she will receive her check for three additional
months--January, February and March--despite her earnings.


If Cathy's earnings drop below the substantial level for any
month during a 36-month period beginning October 1995 (the month
following the month the trial work period ended), she can be paid
her Social Security cash benefit. Additionally, Cathy's Medicare
coverage will continue for at least 39 months after the end of
her trial work period regardless of her earnings.

Working While Receiving Supplemental Security Income Benefits 

There are different work rules for people receiving SSI. The $960
substantial earnings level does not apply to people receiving
SSI.  Instead, you are permitted to have earnings until you
exceed the SSI income limits, which vary from state to state. As
earnings rise, SSI benefits are reduced and eventually stopped. 

However, not all income is counted and you may earn up to $1,025
a month in 1996 before your SSI stops if there is no income other
than earnings. (This figure is higher for people who live in a
state that adds money or a  state supplement  to the SSI
payment.)  In addition, there are other deductions applied to
working SSI recipients under the work incentives rules.

The Student Earned Income Exclusion
Unmarried persons under age 22 and regularly attending school may
exclude up to $400 of earned income per month. The maximum annual
exclusion is $1,620. 

The Earned Income Exclusion 
This rule means we don't count the first $65 ($85 in some cases)
of earnings in a month plus one half of any earnings over $65
($85) when figuring the SSI payment amount. 

Blind Work Expenses 
This rule permits a person who is blind to exclude earned income
which is used to meet the expenses of working. The expenses need
not be related to blindness.  Examples include the portion of a
person's earnings used to pay income taxes, meals consumed during
work hours, transportation costs, or guide dog expenses. 

Plans For Achieving Self Support (PASS) 
A PASS lets you set aside income and/or resources over a
reasonable period of time under a plan designed to enable you to
become financially self-supporting. The income and resources set
aside under a plan do not count against you when we decide if
you're eligible for SSI and how much you will get. 

Property Essential To Self Support 
This provision allows full or partial exclusion of certain
income-producing property necessary for self-support when
determining SSI eligibility and payment amount. 

Continuation Of Medicaid Coverage 
Under this rule, Medicaid coverage for most working SSI
beneficiaries continues even when their earnings become too high
to allow an SSI cash payment. 

Continued Payment Under An Approved Rehabilitation 
Program Despite Medical Recovery 
As is true for people receiving Social Security benefits, people
receiving SSI may have payments continue even after medical
recovery if they are participating in an approved vocational
rehabilitation program whose services are likely to enable them
to work permanently.

An Example Of How SSI Work Incentives Can Help You

John Smith is 20 years old and receives SSI payments because he
is blind. He receives $470 each month and has Medicaid coverage. 

In January 1996 John begins working part time during the evenings
and on weekends for the veterinarian who cares for his guide dog.
John is paid $400 a month to answer the phone, make appointments,
and help with the care and feeding of animals boarded at the
kennel. 

John reports his work and earnings to his local Social Security
office and reports the following blind work expenses: 

Transportation to and from work......................$ 45.00 
Care and feeding of his guide dog....................  30.00
Taxes................................................  35.50
Total blind work expenses............................$110.50 

Here is how we calculate John's SSI amount based on his earnings
and his blind work expenses: 

We first subtract $85 from John's earnings. This exclusion
applies to anyone who works and has no other income: 

          $400 minus $85 = $315.00 

Then we deduct half of the remaining $315: (This exclusion also
applies to anyone who works)

          $315 divided by 2 = $157.50 

From this amount, we subtract the $110.50 in blind work expenses:

          $157.50 minus $110.50 = $47.00 

John has $47 in countable income which we subtract from his
$470.00 SSI payment, leaving $423.00

          $470.00 minus $47.00 = $423.00

This means that, even though John is earning $400 per month, he
loses only $47 in SSI payments, and his Medicaid coverage
continues. John's monthly income is $823. 

In late March, John reports to us that his employer has asked him
to work longer hours and is also giving him a pay raise.  John
begins earning $650 per month in April. He tells us that he likes
working with animals so much that he would like to go to school
to learn to be a dog trainer and groomer. He plans to save $200
per month from his increased earnings so that he will have $1,000
saved to pay for books and tuition by September when the course
begins at a local vocational school. We help John to write a plan
for achieving self-support (PASS) so that we can exclude $200 per
month from the income we must use to figure his SSI payment for
the months from April through August. 

Additionally, John reports that working longer hours and earning
more will increase his transportation costs and his taxes. He
reports the following blind work expenses beginning with April: 

Transportation..................$60.00
Expenses for the care and
feeding of his guide dog........  30.00
Taxes...........................  67.50 
Total blind work expenses.......$157.50 

Here is how we compute John's SSI payment beginning with April: 
$650 minus $85 (for the earned income exclusion) equals $565. We
then exclude half of this amount: 

          $565 divided by 2 = $282.50 

From this amount, we subtract John's blind work expenses of
$157.50 leaving $125.00 in countable income.

          $282.50 minus $157.50 = $125.00

Then subtract the $200 that John is setting aside each month
under a PASS. 
          $125.50 minus $200 = ZERO

Because we were able to deduct so many of his work expenses, we
do not have to count any of John's income so he now receives
$470, which is the maximum SSI payment he can get in his state.
Even though John is earning $250 more each month than he did in
January, February, or March, his SSI check will increase from
$423 to $470 because he has developed a PASS to allow him to go
to school. His Medicaid coverage continues. John's total monthly
income beginning in April is $1,120. 

John begins a four-month course to learn to be a dog groomer and
trainer in September of 1996. His PASS ends in August because he
has saved $1,000 to pay for books and tuition, but now that John
is a student and is under age 22, he can use the student earned
income exclusion to reduce his countable income. He can exclude
earnings of $400 per month up to a maximum of $1,620 annually.
Since he will be in school for only four months in the calendar
year, he can use the exclusion for each of these months without
exceeding the $1,620 annual maximum.

John continues to work for the veterinarian and receives another
pay raise which increases his earnings to $750 per month
beginning in September. His blind work expenses for
transportation and care and feeding of his guide dog are
unchanged, but his increased wages cause his taxes to go up $10.
His total blind work expenses beginning in September rise from
$157.50 to $167.50 per month, including the $10 additional taxes.

Here is how we compute John's countable income while he is a
student from September through December: 
From the $750 of earnings, we subtract $400 for the student
earned income exclusion:  

          $750 minus $400 =$350.00

We then subtract the $85 income exclusion from this amount: 
          $350 minus $85 = $265.00 

We exclude half of this amount: 

          $265 divided by 2 = $132.50

From this amount, we subtract $167.50 in blind work expenses,
leaving zero countable income for September through December.

          $132.50 minus $167.50 = ZERO

John continues to receive $470 per month from SSI in addition to
his monthly earnings of $750 and his Medicaid coverage continues.

John's total monthly income is $1,220. 

Part 3--Special Services For People Who Are Blind

There are a number of services and products specifically designed
to ensure that you are able to take advantage of your rights and
exercise your responsibilities under the Social Security program.

Social Security Letters

You have the option of receiving letters and other correspondence
from Social Security by certified mail, by telephone, or in
person.  Just let Social Security know your preference.

Radio Reading Service

Social Security provides special tapes of its publications to
local radio stations that offer reading service for their blind
and visually impaired listeners. To find out which stations in
your area provide radio reading services, you should call the
Social Security office.

Library Of Congress (LOC) Talking Book And Braille Booklet

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped of the Library of Congress (LOC) has prepared a
"talking book" (a cassette recording) and a braille booklet for
distribution to LOC's network of 160 libraries across the
country. The talking booklet and the braille booklet each contain
information about SSA's major programs: Retirement; Survivors;
Disability; Medicare; and Supplemental Security Income. To find
the LOC branch nearest you, ask your Social Security office or
your local library.

Audio Cassettes

This booklet is available on a cassette tape.  Also the booklet,
"A Summary Guide to Social Security and Supplemental Security
Income Work Incentives for People With Disabilities" (Publication
No. 64-030), has been recorded on a cassette tape. This guide is
designed to assist professionals in the public and private
sectors who work with disabled or visually impaired people.
Requests for these tapes should be directed to any Social
Security office.

Publications Available In Braille

This publication is available in braille. 

The following publications are also available in braille. The
first five are booklets that provide an overview of each of the
major Social Security related programs.

* Retirement Benefits (Publication No. 05-10035)
* Survivors Benefits (Publication No. 05-10084)
* Disability Benefits (Publication No. 05-10029)
* Supplemental Security Income Benefits (SSI) (Publication No.
  05-11000)
* Medicare (Publication No. 05-10043)
* Social Security--Understanding The Benefits (Publication No.
  05-10024) A general but comprehensive overview of the Social
  Security program.
* Working While Disabled--How We Can Help (Publication No.
  05-10095) A simple explanation of the work incentives under
  Social Security and SSI for beneficiaries who want to work.
* How Social Security Can Help With Vocational Rehabilitation
  (Publication No. 05-10050) An overview of Social Security's
  role in helping people with disabilities receive vocational
  rehabilitation services.
* Working While Disabled (Publication No. 05-11017) A guide to
  plans for achieving self-support (PASS) while receiving SSI.
* When You Get Social Security Disability Benefits--What You Need

  To Know (Publication No. 05-10153) A guide to your rights and
  responsibilities while receiving Social Security disability
  benefits.
* When You Get SSI--What You Need To Know (Publication No.
  05-11011) A guide to your rights and responsibilities while    

  receiving SSI.
* A Summary Guide to Social Security And Supplemental Security   

  Income Work Incentives For People With Disabilities 
  (Publication No. 64-030)--Known as the "Redbook," it provides a
  more detailed and technical explanation of work incentives than
  the booklet, Working While Disabled--How We Can Help.

The Social Security office can order these braille publications
for you on request.



Social Security Administration
SSA Publication No. 05-10052
June 1996
ICN 46255