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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoBodyText><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h1><span style='font-size:28.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Blind Americans Return to Work Act <o:p></o:p></span></h1><h2><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Issue—Current Social Security law has the unintended consequence of holding back blind Americans from achieving their full earnings potential.<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:23.4pt;mso-add-space:auto'><b><span style='font-size:12.5pt;color:#ED1C24'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><h2 align=left style='text-align:left'><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;font-style:normal'>The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program has a built in “earnings cliff.” <o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:23.4pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.5pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:23.4pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.5pt'>Title II of the Social Security Act provides that disability benefits paid to blind beneficiaries are eliminated if the beneficiary exceeds a monthly earnings limit.<a style='mso-endnote-id:edn1' href="#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class=MsoEndnoteReference>[1]</span></a> 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 $<span style='color:black'>2,590</span> per month. If a blind individual 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 SSDI benefits. This means that if a blind person earns just one dollar over the earnings limit, all benefits are lost. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:23.4pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h2 align=left style='text-align:left'><a name="_Hlk61018851"><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;font-style:normal'>The earnings cliff incentivizes blind people to choose to remain unemployed or underemployed, despite their desire to work. </span></a><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;font-style:normal'><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoBodyText style='margin-right:15.85pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.5pt'> In a 2018 survey, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) found that 21 percent of respondents from thirty-four of their non-profit associations had turned down a raise or promotion to retain their SSDI benefits.<a style='mso-endnote-id:edn2' href="#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class=MsoEndnoteReference>[2]</span></a> The survey also found that 37 percent of respondents had turned down additional hours or even asked to reduce their hours in order to retain their SSDI benefits.<a style='mso-endnote-id:edn3' href="#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class=MsoEndnoteReference>[3]</span></a> Blind Americans who are willing and able to work are intentionally limiting themselves in order to keep from suddenly losing all of their SSDI benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoBodyText style='margin-right:15.85pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h2 align=left style='text-align:left'><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;font-style:normal'>The current work incentive in the form of the trial work period is needlessly complicated and counterintuitive. <o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoBodyText style='margin-right:8.05pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.5pt'> Under the current SSDI program, if a blind worker wants to try and earn more money, they will likely trigger a nine-month trial work period. These nine months do not have to be consecutive, but instead are any nine months during a rolling sixty-month period in which the worker earned more than a certain amount (for 2024 this amount is $1,110 per month). When all of those nine months are exhausted, the worker is once again subject to the earnings cliff if they cross the SGA threshold. This is supposed to act as an incentive for blind recipients to determine if they are ready to work, but the complexity of the rules and the difference between the trial work period amount and the SGA threshold results in many blind Americans ignoring the process altogether. <o:p></o:p></span></p><b><i><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'></span></i></b><h2><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Solution—Blind Americans Return to Work Act will:<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoBodyText style='margin-top:.5pt;mso-add-space:auto'><b><i><span style='font-size:12.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p><h2 align=left style='text-align:left'><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2F5496;font-style:normal'>Eliminate the earnings cliff by instituting a ten-year pilot program establishing a gradual two-for-one phase-out of SSDI benefits with earnings over the SGA limit. <o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoBodyText style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:5.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:6.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto'><b><span style='font-size:12.5pt;color:#005F95'> </span></b><span style='font-size:12.5pt'>For every two dollars a blind worker earns above the SGA threshold, their benefits amount will be reduced by one dollar. This ten-year pilot program will start in 2025 and conclude in 2034 demonstrating that blind Americans can and will achieve their highest earning potential.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoBodyText style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:5.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:6.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto'><b><span style='font-size:12.5pt;color:#005F95'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><h2 align=left style='text-align:left'><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2F5496;font-style:normal'>Create a genuine work incentive for SSDI recipients. <o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoBodyText style='margin-right:5.5pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.5pt'>With a 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. With this model, blind Americans will never lose by working. As an added benefit, fewer workers will be earning SSDI benefits and instead be paying into the Social Security Trust Fund, which means a more balanced Trust Fund in time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoBodyText><span style='font-size:12.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h2 align=left style='text-align:left'><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2F5496;font-style:normal'>Simplify the SSDI system by eliminating the trial work period and grace period, making the rules more compatible with the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. <o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:6.8pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.5pt'> Under the proposed system, the SSDI program will become less complicated. With both programs using similar rules, there will be less confusion, and the incentive for blind people to return to work will be consistent and clear.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:6.8pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:6.8pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:5.95pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h2><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2F5496;font-style:normal'>GOAL—ELIMINATE THE SSDI EARNINGS CLIFF AND CREATE A TRUE WORK INCENTIVE FOR BLIND AMERICANS.<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoBodyText><o:p> </o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='margin-top:.5pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Sponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:6.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:8.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:6.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:8.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:6.5pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:8.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>For more information, contact:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:28.0pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.25in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>Jesse Shirek, Government Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:28.0pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.25in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>Phone: 410-659-9314, extension 2348, Email: </span><a href="mailto:jshirek@nfb.org"><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>jshirek@nfb.org</span></a><span style='font-size:13.0pt'> or visit </span><a href="http://www.nfb.org"><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>www.nfb.org</span></a><span style='font-size:13.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><br clear=all><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><hr size=1 width="33%" align=left></span></div></div></div><div style='mso-element:endnote-list'><br clear=all><hr align=left size=1 width="33%"><div style='mso-element:endnote' id=edn1><p class=MsoEndnoteText><a style='mso-endnote-id:edn1' href="#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class=MsoEndnoteReference>[1]</span></a> 42 U.S.C. Sec. 423.</p></div><div style='mso-element:endnote' id=edn2><p class=MsoEndnoteText><a style='mso-endnote-id:edn2' href="#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class=MsoEndnoteReference>[2]</span></a> <i>Commitment to Serve</i>, A presentation given at the 2018 NIB/NAEPB Training Conference and Expo.</p></div><div style='mso-element:endnote' id=edn3><p class=MsoEndnoteText><a style='mso-endnote-id:edn3' href="#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class=MsoEndnoteReference>[3]</span></a> Ibid.</p></div></div></body></html>