What is required of an individual to apply for Blind Work Expenses (BWEs)?

To apply for Blind Work Expenses (BWEs), an individual must be a Title II beneficiary with blindness. This requirement is crucial because BWEs are a specific provision within Social Security that allows individuals who are blind and receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits to deduct certain work-related expenses from their earnings when determining their continued eligibility for benefits.

Being a Title II beneficiary with blindness means that the individual is receiving SSDI benefits due to a qualifying visual impairment, and it is this status that enables them to access BWEs. These expenses can include transportation costs, training expenses, and equipment needed to perform their work, thus allowing more flexibility for individuals to pursue employment without the fear of losing their benefits.

The other options present requirements that do not specifically apply to BWEs. Reporting a vision impairment is a part of the qualification for blindness status but not a direct requirement for BWEs. Enrollment in a specific rehabilitation program, while beneficial, is not a necessary condition to qualify for BWEs. Similarly, there is no mandated income level that someone must meet to apply for BWEs; the focus is primarily on their status as a Title II beneficiary with blindness.