Q: Is my wife eligible for Social Security Disability?
My wife, 57, is legally blind. Her vision has steadily gone downhill for 15-20 years and hasn't driven since 2005. She hasn't worked since 1995 after our second daughter was born.
A:
Maybe, but unlikely. If she is qualified for disability for medical reasons, because she has not paid into Title 2 AKA SSDI since 1995, she would not qualify financially. The other benefit available IF she medically qualifies, is Supplemental Security Income AKA Title 16 or SSI.
SSI is means tested for the poorest of Americans that are disabled. if you, her spouse make over $ 1,542 a month by any means, unless there are additional underage children or qualified people in your household, you make too much money to get any SSI benefits. The SSI benefit is currently $ 771.00 a month. There are also other financial limitations, like owning only 1 car; 1 house; and less than $ 3,000 in the bank, etc.
The medical analysis starts with if you wife has 20/200 in her better eye. However, she could medically qualify with less, but as noted, if she does not financially qualify for SSA disability, a medical analysis is useless.
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