If the capacity of your remaining eyesight hinders you from performing any meaningful activity or any income generating work, then you can qualify for disability benefits provided you are legally blind. If you are not legally blind, you can still qualify for some benefits, in the form of a medical vocational allowance.
What is considered disabled by the Social Security Administration?
The law defines disability as the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
Can you get disability for cataract?
Qualifying for Disability Benefits with Cataracts To see if you may qualify, you can consult the Social Security Blue Book, which lists all SSA-approved disabilities. Cataracts has the potential to qualify under Section 2.00: “Special Senses and Speech” under a variety of vision-based listings.
What counts as visually impaired?
Visual impairment is a term experts use to describe any kind of vision loss, whether it’s someone who cannot see at all or someone who has partial vision loss. Some people are completely blind, but many others have what’s called legal blindness.
How much can a blind person make on disability in 2021?
If you’re receiving Social Security disability benefits and you’re blind, you can earn as much as $2,190 a month in 2021. This is higher than the earnings limit of $1,310 a month that applies to disabled workers who aren’t blind.
Can a person with vision loss qualify for SSI?
To qualify for Social Security disability or SSI on the basis of a vision impairment, there are three listings in the Social Security Administration’s impairment listing manual that apply to most claims involving loss of vision. These listings deal with:
How much vision is needed for Social Security disability?
For example, listing 2.02 (the listing regarding central visual acuity which is the listing under which most vision impairment claims are approved) states that, for an individual to be approved on the basis of this listing, the remaining vision in the better eye, after best correction, must be 20/200 or less.
Is there a disability book for vision loss?
Social Security’s disability listings book provides the specific approval criteria for a number of known impairments. In the case of vision impairments, there aren’t separate listings that specifically address conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or cataracts.
How does a diabetic qualify for Social Security disability?
Diabetic peripheral neuropathies (Listing 11.14). Most people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage in their hands, feet, arms, or legs. But to qualify for benefits under this listing, you have to show that your neuropathy causes a significant disruption of your ability to walk, stand, or use your hands in a skilled way.
