LB

's status

17 May 2005

Criteria for Legal Blindness: 20/200 or worse acuity on the better eye and not improved by glasses

constriction of visual field to20 degrees diameter or less or 10 degrees radius any direction from the point of focus on the better eye

Vsual Field Test Results:

Right Eye: Total diameter = 10 degrees; Radius s= 5 degrees

Left Eye (better eye): Total diameter = 15 degrees; Radius = 8 degrees

Social Security Administration Policies Regarding Legal Blindness 2005

1. One of the above criteria has to be present to qualify for disability benefits.

2. The applicant can earn credits anytime during the working years. Credits for work after blindness occurred can be used to qualify for benefits if there were not enough credits at that time. Also credits from a parent or spouse can be used by the applicant.

3. If the applicant is not getting disability benefits because he/she is still working, "Disability Freeze" can help get higher disability or retirement benefits someday. If earnings are lower. those years can be excluded in calculating benefits later thereby raising the average income calculated amount.

4. Working while receiving disability payments and earning as much as $1380 a month are allowed. If self employed, the number of hours spent working are not counted as long as the net profit averages no more than $1380 a month

5. If 55 yrs. and older and legally blind and a: earnings exceed $1380 a month, benefits are only suspended, not terminated; b: if work being done requires a lower level of skill and ability than work done before age 55. disability benefits shall be paid for any month that earnings fall below this limit.

The above information were taken from SSA Publication No 05 - 10052, January 2005:

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10052.html

Started 21 June 2005

Last Updated 20 July 2005

Magdalena D. Guerrero, M.D. (drG)

MMV