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Benefits Highlights

SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME: PROGRAMMATIC DIFFERENCES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND

When the Supplemental Security Income program was created in 1974, it was the product of consolidating state poverty programs for people who were over age 65, blind or disabled into a federal program. The distinction between age, blindness and disability continues in the present program.

The chart below illustrates the types of programmatic differences that exist for people who are blind in the Supplemental Security Income Program.

Provision
Does it differ?
How?
Entitlement Yes SGA is not a factor
Student Earned Income Exclusions No SGA is not a factor
General Income Exclusion No  
Earned Income Exclusion No  
IRWE Yes Expenses should be deducted as Blind Work Expenses, never as RWE
Divide by 2 No  
Blind Work Expense Yes Deductions must be related to work and paid out of pocket – need not be related to disability
PASS Not functionally but… Since more earnings may be excluded under Blind Work Expenses, and thus there is less countable income for working SSI beneficiaries, PASS may not be as powerful for individuals who are blind
EXR Not functionally but… Because insured status for blind people is different, Entitlement to SSDI may occur sooner, SSDI benefit might affect SSI EXR
1619 A Yes Not applicable since SGA is not a factor for blind SSI recipients
Continued Medicaid for People Who Work (1619 B) Yes Blind Work Expenses might allow a higher individualized earnings threshold

It is extremely valuable for Benefits Specialists to recognize that there are substantial differences in how SSI work incentives are applied for individuals who meet the standard for legal or statutory blindness. Beneficiaries may have entered the SSI program with other impairments and later develop blindness, or simply may not know or understand the programmatic differences that apply to people who are blind. Keep in mind that blindness is a term that carries different connotations to different people. Some individuals who meet the legal standard for blindness may perceive themselves as having a little trouble seeing, but not as blind. Understanding the difference in the programs and encouraging individuals who may meet the standard of blindness to establish their status with the SSA may allow them to access additional work incentives, and may make work more profitable.

For More Information, see the VCU-BARC Briefing Paper: Supplemental Security Income: Programmatic Differences for Individuals Who are Blind. Vol. 13, March, 2005