[Massachusetts-NFB] FW: Legislative Action Item: Ask your Representative to Cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act!

[sharawinton at gmail.com]

Shara Winton

President, National federation of the Blind of Massachusetts

 <http://www.nfbma.org/> www.nfbma.org

 <mailto:sharawinton at gmail.com> sharawinton at gmail.com

617-304-0347

 

From: Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kyra Sweeney via Massachusetts-NFB
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2024 6:21 PM
To: NFB of Massachusetts E-mail List <massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Kyra Sweeney <kyra.sweeney94 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Massachusetts-NFB] Legislative Action Item: Ask your Representative to Cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act!

 

Hi everyone,

 

As we heard  during the national convention, the Blind Americans Return to Work Act has been introduced in the House of Representatives! The bill number is H.R. 8878. The bill was introduced by Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas and has Congressman Kweisi Mfume of Maryland as the lead cosponsor.

 

Explanation of the Bill:

 

This legislation is needed in order to allow blind Americans to reach our full earning potential. Currently, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits paid to blind beneficiaries are eliminated if the beneficiary exceeds a monthly earnings limit. This earnings limit, often called the “earnings cliff,” is in effect a penalty imposed on blind Americans when they work. For example, the earnings limit in 2024 for a blind person is $2,590 per month. If a blind person earns more than that threshold, even by just one dollar, they are engaged in substantial gainful activity (SGA). Under the current law, any individual engaged in SGA is not entitled to any Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. This means that if a blind person earns just one dollar over the earnings limit, all benefits are lost . Many blind Americans have turned down raises, promotions, and additional work hours in order to avoid losing all SSDI benefits.

 

The Blind Americans Return to Work Act will eliminate the earnings cliff by instituting a pilot program establishing a gradual two-for-one phase-out of SSDI benefits with earnings over the SGA limit. In other words, for every two dollars a blind worker earns above the SGA threshold, their benefits amount will be reduced by one dollar. With this phase-out model, blind workers will always be better off striving to earn as much as possible, which will facilitate the transition of those workers out of the SSDI system as benefits are gradually reduced.

 

What we need to do:

 

It is essential that we reach out to our representatives to build cosponsor support for this legislation before the session ends later this year.

 

When you call or email your representative, you might say the following:

"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of [REPRESENTATIVE NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge [REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, H.R. 8878. This legislation will eliminate the SSDI earnings cliff by instituting a two-for-one phase out of benefits for any income earned above the substantial gainful activity threshold for blind Americans. This will create a true work incentive for all blind Americans currently on SSDI. Thanks."

 

Feel free to include a personal example in your message if you have experience with trying to navigate the earnings cliff.

 

Please contact your representative either by phone or by email this week! This only takes a few minutes. I have attached a document with the contact information for each of the representatives in MA and instructions to find your representative. If you need help figuring out who your representative is, please email me privately.

 

If you contact your representative via email, please copy me at kyra.sweeney94 at gmail.comm <mailto:kyra.sweeney94 at gmail.comm> , as well as the NFB Governmental Affairs Specialist, Jesse Shirek, at jshirek at nfb.org <mailto:jshirek at nfb.org> .

 

It would be great if we could get cosponsors from MA to support this bill! Your calls and emails will make a difference. Thank you for helping to move this priority forward.

 

Best,

 

Kyra Sweeney

Legislative Director, National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts

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