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Blind Georgia residents may qualify for SSD benefits

On Behalf of | Jun 20, 2019 | Social Security Disability

Georgia residents who are legally blind or have vision problems may qualify for Social Security disability benefits under certain rules set forth by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA will likely classify you as blind if you meet one of two conditions. The first is that your vision in your better eye cannot be fixed to be better than 20/200. The second is that the visual field in your better eye is 20 degrees or less and has been or is expected to stay in that range for a minimum of 12 months.

Even if you do not meet these conditions, you can still qualify for disability benefits if you are unable to work due to your vision problems or due to your vision problems and other medical issues combined.

Anyone who has held a job that requires them to pay Social Security taxes can earn work credits that allow him or her to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Those who are blind according to the SSA can earn these credits essentially at any time. In other words, if you become blind before you collect the requisite number of credits, you can still qualify for benefits by counting credits earned after you became blind.

People who are blind have a higher earnings limit than workers with disabilities who are not blind. In 2019, the SSA allows blind workers who earn up to $2,040 a month to qualify for benefits, while non-blind disabled workers can only qualify if they earn $1,220 or less per month. If you are over the age of 55 and blind, your benefits can be suspended as opposed to terminated if you earn over $2,040 a month. In order for this to happen however, the work you do after turning 55 must require lesser skill and ability than the job you had before you turned 55.

If your difficulty seeing prevents you from working, you can speak to a disability attorney for more information on filing for SSD benefits.

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