Nine Eye Problems that Qualify for Disability Benefits
Eye problems can significantly affect your quality of life. It can severely limit your vital functions like identifying objects, reading, and moving from one place to another. Thus, it probably makes you unable to work full-time and earn enough income.
The good news is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) awards disability benefits to eligible people with eye problems.
You only have to know what eye problems qualify and how to prepare your application. So, read on to understand the process.
What Eye Conditions Qualify for Disability Insurance
The SSA generally approves disability benefits applications if a person’s condition is:
- Disabling enough that it prevents the person from working and earning sufficient income
- Expected to last for at least 12 months or may cause death
Now, you may qualify for disability benefits if you have these eye problems, as stated in the SSA Blue Book listing 2.00:
1. Legal Blindness
This is severe vision loss with less than 20/200 visual acuity and 20 degrees of peripheral vision or visual field. So, it could result from congenital problems, disease, or physical trauma.
2. Partial Sight or Low Vision
This condition refers to untreatable severe vision difficulty in one or both eyes. It usually involves blurry vision, night blindness, and partial central or peripheral vision.
3. Cataracts
This condition refers to cloudy eye lenses that obstruct vision. The obstruction could interfere when performing simple tasks and make it difficult for a person to work.
4. Sjögren’s Syndrome
Sjögren’s Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that affects the Salivary and Tear Glands. Aside from mouth dryness, it also causes eyelid inflammation, dry eye, and corneal abrasion.
5. Glaucoma
This incurable condition involves significantly high pressure in the eyes that affects the optic nerves and causes vision loss.
6. Hemianopia
Hemianopia is an unusual eye problem that reduces the visual field that a person can see by 50%. However, it results from brain damage that affects the optic nerves.
7. Macular Degeneration
It refers to the degeneration of the eye’s central retina that affects a person’s central vision.
8. Diabetic Retinopathy
This condition results from Type 1 or 2 Diabetes complications that damage the blood vessels behind the eyes. And it could lead to mild or severe vision loss, depending on the case.
9. Eye Cancer
Cancer could begin developing in the eyes or start from other body organs and later affect the eyes. So, it could lead to vision loss or sight distortion, like seeing floating shapes or figures.
Preparing Your Disability Benefits Application
Now, here are a couple of points to keep in mind if you think your condition qualifies for disability insurance:
-
Consult Your Eye Doctor
Secure a copy of your medical report from your eye doctor. The document should prove your condition and how it affects your daily functions.
Also, it’s better to complete the Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) form with your doctor. The RFC form will prove the tasks you can and cannot complete due to your eye condition.
-
Hire a Social Security Benefits Lawyer
Next, take your medical documents to a Glendale Social Security benefits attorney. So, they will help prepare your requirements and increase your likelihood of getting approved.
Social Security Benefits Lawyer in Glendale to Get Insurance for Your Eye Problems
Suffering from an eye problem could severely limit your ability to work and earn sufficient income. You thus deserve the additional support that disability insurance offers, as long as your condition meets the SSA requirements.
Hiring a Glendale Social Security benefits attorney will help you get the SSA approval and financial help.