BASIC (01-02)

A. Self-employment before 1978

For work activity performed before 1978 by blind self-employed persons under title II, the principles of evaluation and the income considered sufficient to show an ability to do SGA are the same as those for other self-employed individuals. (See DI 10510.001 - DI 10510.020.)

B. Self-employment in 1978 or later

1. For evaluation of work activity performed in 1978 or later by blind self-employed persons under title II, there is an SGA earnings amount for each year that is higher than the SGA earnings amount for nonblind persons; there is no secondary amount for blind individuals.

2. Prior to applying the Earnings Guidelines for a determination as to SGA, evaluate the blind individual's self-employment income in the same manner as that of nonblind individuals in order to determine “countable income.” (See DI 10510.012) That is, deduct from net income the reasonable value of any significant amount of unpaid help, IRWE (if they were not already deducted from gross income as a business expense), unincurred business expenses, and any soil bank payments if such payments were included as income by a farmer.

   Do not deduct any other category of earnings.

3. The self-employment activity of blind persons in 1978 or later should be evaluated only in terms of the dollar amounts shown in the SGA Earnings Guidelines in DI 10501.015. It should not be evaluated under the comparability and worth of work tests.