Some people who are struggling to work due to poor vision but not complete blindness may have concerns about whether they can still qualify for Philadelphia disability benefits. The good news is that you do not have to be completely blind to qualify for disability benefits and you may be eligible for benefits depending on your level of vision problems. Knowing what the specific requirements are on this can help you save a lot of time during the application process. If you ever have any questions, feel free to talk to a Philadelphia disability lawyer for answers.

Philadelphia Disability Benefits for Poor Vision

Philadelphia disability benefits for vision come in two forms, benefits for people with complete blindness and benefits for people with vision problems that are interfering significantly with their work performance. You may qualify for disability benefits if you meet the Social Security Administration (SSA) criteria for a loss of central visual acuity or contraction of the visual field in your better eye.

Meeting the criteria for the loss of central visual acuity is easier than for contraction of vision in your better eye because the former only requires you to prove that your vision is worse than 20/200. However, you will have to prove that your vision is still this troublesome with the use of glasses, contacts, or eye surgery. You cannot qualify for disability insurance when corrective methods like these restore your vision.

Fulfilling the criteria for a contraction of vision in your better eye may prove more challenging because you cannot qualify with impaired vision in one eye if you have fair vision in your other eye. This is called the best eye rule because you may have impairments in one eye, but you still cannot qualify if your vision is fine in your best eye. To prove you meet these criteria, you will need to submit optometrist records that indicate poor vision.

How the SSA Evaluates Poor Vision in Philadelphia

Philadelphia SSA evaluations involve looking at the medical evidence, work history, your current skills with your disability, and what limitations in your work skills a medical evaluator finds as a result of your visual impairment. This means you will need to be prepared to see an optometrist and obtain copies of your medical records for your disability claim.

You must also not be making more than $2,110 a month in 2020 to qualify for disability benefits. If you are still able to work and make more money than this despite your vision problems, the SSA will likely reject your application. Be prepared to answer questions about your work history, including the last five jobs you had. Your Philadelphia substantial gainful activity might also be examined.

Disability Lawyer in Philadelphia

Finding out your disability claim was rejected can be frustrating and scary when you are struggling financially. Consider working with a Philadelphia individual disability insurance attorney who can help you find out why so you can defend your claim. All you have to do is contact Edelstein & Nelson at 800-887-4529 for a consultation today. One of our Philadelphia disability attorneys will work with you to help you collect the evidence needed for a strong disability benefits claim.