Being legally blind, unable to see better than 20/200 with glasses, is one of the few automatics in the Social Security disability system. By that, I mean that if you are blind, you should get your disability benefits. But, of course, there are always wrinkles to consider.
Date Last Insured
One issue pertains to how long one remains eligible for benefits for being without sight. Normally, most Social Security applicants have to show that they are still within their date last insured, or DLI. But, for the blind, a different set of rules apply.
Fully Insured
To be eligible for benefits, a blind applicant can show that he is fully insured. If that is true, the DLI issue is not relevant. So, what does that mean? Generally speaking, Social Security considers someone fully insured if they have earned 40 quarters of work (10 years) during their lifetime. This is also the test for being eligible for Social Security retirement benefits. One nice thing about being fully insured is that you never lose that status once you have obtained it.
Other Issues To Consider
There are other issues involved in making a disability claim based on blindness that are outside the scope of this post. If you are legally blind and are having trouble getting Social Security disability benefits, make sure that Social Security is applying the correct date last insured.
