IM-147 December 22, 2022; IM-09 January 25, 2019
An eligible participant must not have a sighted spouse who is able to provide for the reasonable support of the participant. A sighted spouse is defined as one who is not visually eligible for Blind Pension.
Support from a sighted spouse is determined based on the gross income of the sighted spouse. A sighted spouse is deemed to be able to provide for reasonable support if their income meets or exceeds 500% of the Federal Poverty Level for the couple.
If the spouse does not reside in the home of the participant, their income is not considered.