Editing Supplemental Security Income (section)

===Aged, disabled, or blind===
In order to be eligible for SSI, a person must meet the definition of being aged, disabled, or blind.

'''Aged''' – Being deemed aged consists of attaining the age of 65 or older.<ref name="SSA POMS SI 00501.001">(''SSA'' POMS SI 00501.001)</ref> In some cases benefits can be claimed at the age of 62.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benefits Planner: Retirement {{!}} Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction {{!}} SSA |url=https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/agereduction.html |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=www.ssa.gov |language=en}}</ref> The Social Security Administration, like the United States Government in general, follows [[English common law]] and considers a person to attain an age the day before their birthday.<ref>(''SSA'' POMS RS 00615.015)</ref>

'''Disabled''' – Being deemed disabled consists of meeting the general disability definition used by the Social Security Administration to be eligible for SSDI:

"Disability means inability to engage in any SGA [substantial gainful activity] by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death, or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months."

"The 1967 amendments specified that workers shall be determined to be under a disability only if the physical or mental impairment or impairments are of such severity that the individual is not only unable to do his previous work but cannot, considering his age, education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy. This is regardless of whether any of these are true:

* Such work exists in the immediate area in which the claimant lives.
* A specific job vacancy exists.
* The claimant would be hired if they applied for work.

"The statute also specifies that 'work which exists in the national economy means work which exists in significant numbers either in the region where such individuals live or in several regions of the country.'"<ref>(''SSA'' POMS DI 10105.065)</ref>

Substantial gainful activity (SGA), for 2021, is the ability to earn $1,310 gross income in a month's period for most disabled individuals. For legally blind individuals, the SGA is $2,190, but applies only to SSDI and not SSI.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ssa.gov/oact/COLA/sga.html |title=Substantial Gainful Activity |publisher=Social Security Administration |accessdate=February 1, 2021}}</ref>

In addition, children under the age of 18 can be determined to be disabled for SSI purposes "if the individual has a medically determinable impairment or combination of impairments that causes marked or severe functional limitation(s), and can be expected to result in death, or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months."<ref name="SSA POMS DI 11055.005">(''SSA'' POMS DI 11055.005)</ref>

'''Blind''' – Being deemed blind consists of meeting the following definition:

"central [[visual acuity]] of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens. An eye which has a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees should also be considered as having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less."<ref name="SSA POMS DI 11055.005" />

In addition, for SSI purposes, an individual is considered blind regardless of the period of time they are expected to be blind or if they are performing substantial gainful activity.<ref name="SSA POMS DI 11055.005" />