When a claimant receiving another form of assistance becomes blind and eligible for SAB, transfer the claimant from the other assistance to SAB. Such transfer is desirable to maintain a complete roster of all eligible blind persons in the State.
If a claimant is blind and under age 65, the claimant is expected to apply for SAB rather than SNC, MA or GR. Make every effort to explain this policy to the claimant; however, if the claimant refuses to apply for SAB, do not close the case in the other program, and do not deny the opportunity to file for another type of assistance (except for General Relief — the claimant cannot choose to remain on GR or apply for GR if eligible for SAB).
Cases involving changes in category must take precedence in investigation and approval over other applications pending. When possible, correlate changes in assistance to avoid interruption of assistance.
When a case is changed from one category to another, the first payment in the new category is ordinarily reflected in the next check the claimant receives.