Understanding Supplemental Security Income
SSI Spotlight on Special SSI Rule for
Blind People Who Work
2008 Edition

There is a special rule to help people who work and receive SSI benefits because of blindnessblindness. This rule allows a blind person to exclude from earned incomeearned income all expenses that enable the person to work. The expense does not need to be related to the impairment.

Expenses that can qualify include:

	service animal, including the cost of food and upkeep;
	transportation to and from work;
	licenses, fees, or taxes;
	attendant care services;
	meals eaten during work hours;
	medical equipment or supplies; and
	other work–related equipment or services.

Ray Barnett receives SSI benefits because of blindnessblindness. He works and earns $805 per month, which is the only income he receives.

He has the following work expenses:

	his employer withholds $250 per month for Federal and State income taxes and Social Security (FICA) taxes; and
	he has to pay $100 per month for transportation to and from work.

Mr. Barnett uses $350 of his earnings to pay for these work expenses. Therefore, $350 of his earnings is not counted in determining the amount of his SSI benefit as follows:

$805 - $20 (general exclusion) = $785
$785 - $65 (work exclusion) = $720
$720/2 = $360
$360 - $350 (blind work expenses) = $10
$10 = countable earnings

A blind person may also use other SSI work rules such as Plans to Achieve Self–Support (PASS)Plans to Achieve Self–Support (PASS) and continued Medicaid coveragecontinued Medicaid coverage while working.