Blindness and SSDI: What to Know

If you have recently been diagnosed with a medical condition that has resulted in low vision or blindness, or if you sustained a serious injury that resulted in blindness, you should know that you may be eligible to obtain Social Security disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), and that rules are slightly different for individuals with low vision or blindness than with other disabilities. Depending on your circumstances, you could be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or even both.

As the SSA explains, “if you’re blind, Social Security has special rules that allow you to receive benefits when you are unable to work,” and it pays benefits to blind people under the SSDI and SSI programs. There are different rules for each, and our national disability benefits lawyers can help you to understand your eligibility.

Defining a Disability with Low Vision and Blindness 

Generally speaking, for a person to receive SSDI or SSI benefits, they must have a medical condition that is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death, and it must prevent them from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA), meaning significant work. The rules are a bit different for blindness.

The SSA clarifies that it considers a person to be blind “if your vision can’t be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye,” or “if your visual field is 20 degrees or less in your better eye for a period that lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months.” You do not need to meet the “duration requirement” for SSI. Even if you are not blind but have low vision, you could still be eligible. The SSA specifically says that if you have vision problems that prevent you from working, you may be eligible for SSDI or SSI.

Earning Income While Receiving Disability Benefits with Blindness 

If you are blind and receiving disability benefits, you can work and earn an income — a significantly higher amount of money than disability benefit recipients with other types of disabilities. While most SSDI recipients cannot earn more than $1,550 per month, recipients who get payments due to blindness can earn up to $2,590 per month, and the amounts typically increase each year.

Any hours you spent working for yourself, in a self-employed capacity for your own business, also will not affect blind disability benefit recipients as long as their net profit does not average more than $2,590 per month for the 2024 year.

Contact Our National Disability Benefits Attorneys Today 

If you have recently experienced a medical condition or injury that has resulted in low vision or blindness, it is critical to speak with one of the experienced national SSDI benefits lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz to determine your eligibility for Social Security disability payments. As we discussed above, there are special rules for people who are blind, and you could be eligible to receive benefits very soon. Contact us today to discuss your circumstances, and if you are eligible, we can help you to file your application for benefits.

Sources:

ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10052.pdf

ssa.gov/disability