Eligibility requirements for SAB are generally the same as December 1973 requirements for Aid to the Blind (AB). To be eligible for SAB, a claimant must meet the following, using December 1973 requirements, except where otherwise noted:
A claimant cannot receive Supplemental Nursing Care, Medical Assistance, Temporary Assistance, General Relief, Blind Pension, or a Vendor Payment (SNF or ICF) and also receive SAB, however, the claimant may be included as the payee only on a Temporary Assistance, MAF or MC+ case.
Regulation 40-2.140 states a person who appears to be eligible for SSI and refuses to apply for SSI is not eligible for SAB.
A claimant's eligibility based on age is determined by the claimant's living arrangement.
To be eligible for a grant based on nursing home maximums, the claimant must be age 21 or older. If the claimant does not qualify for vendor payments and the grant is based on SAB need and grant determinations, the claimant must be age 18 or older to receive a grant at a licensed Residential Care Facility I or II or a Nursing Facility.
To be eligible for SAB while residing in a State Mental Hospital, the claimant must be age 65 or older.
To be eligible for the SAB grant, the claimant must be age 18 or older. Acceptable living arrangements include own home, room and board situation, living with relatives, etc.
To be eligible for Supplemental Aid to the Blind, a claimant must provide his/her Social Security Number (SSN). Obtain a copy of the Social Security card for the applicant at the time of initial application whenever possible. If the card is not available but the number is known, accept the applicant's statement and enter the Social Security number into the SUPD system. If the number is correct, it will be verified by the system. It is only necessary to obtain further verification if the system match returns an indicator other than “V”.
If a claimant is unable to provide his/her SSN, the claimant must apply for a SSN or a duplicate SSN. If a claimant will not provide or apply for a social security number, the claimant is not eligible for assistance. However, do not deny or delay assistance pending issuance of a SSN.
Refer to December 1973 Eligibility Requirements, Vision. Reexaminations are required no less than every fifth year after the initial determination, unless the individual has been deemed to have no usable vision. Proceed with determination of other eligibility factors while waiting for decision on visual eligibility.
House Bill 1835 (2014) removed the requirement for re-examination every fifth year for some individuals. Persons who have been deemed by an ophthalmologist, physician skilled in disease of the eye, or an optometrist to have no usable vision shall be exempt from the five-year requirement.
“No usable vision” shall mean an individual who does not have vision, with or without proper adjusted glasses, up to but not including 5/200, or whose best visual field is 5 degrees as tested with 5 millimeter target or perimeter, and the individual’s vision loss at this level is permanent, or is medically unlikely to return or improve.
Individuals with waived re-examinations are required to report improvement in their vision within 90 days.
Individuals with waived re-examinations are required to provide a written self certification every year, at the time of their annual reinvestigation, that their vision has not improved.
The written certification must include:
The citizenship/alien status requirement is the same as for MHF. Refer to Section 0905.010.30.
This requirement is the same as the December 1973 Eligibility Requirement, refer to Section 1015.000.00.
This requirement is the same as the December 1973 Eligibility Requirement, refer to Section 1020.000.00.
An eligible claimant must be one who does not have a parent or parents resident in this state, or a sighted spouse, who upon investigation are found to be able to provide for the reasonable support of the claimant.
This requirement is the same as the December 1973 Eligibility Requirement, refer to Section 1050.000.00.
Section 209.030 RSMo provides, an eligible claimant must be one who is not publicly soliciting alms in any manner or through any artifice (trick) while receiving SAB. Refer to the December 1973 Eligibility Requirements, Soliciting Alms, Section 1045.000.00.
Maximum property levels are $3000 for a single individual and $6000 for a couple. This requirement is the same as the December 1973 Eligibility Requirement, refer to Section 1035.000.00.
Section 209.060 RSMo provides, ... “any person who shall by gifts, secret disposition or other means dispose of any property in his or her possession in order to become wholly or in part eligible within the provision of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor”.
Under the provisions of Section 209.140 RSMo, an application must be rejected if it is determined property has been transferred for the purpose of becoming eligible for SAB. Such person is ineligible for SAB forever.
This requirement is the same as the December 1973 Eligibility Requirement, refer to Section 1030.040.00.
This requirement is the same as the December 1973 Eligibility Requirement, refer to Section 1030.045.00.
This requirement is the same as the December 1973 Eligibility Requirement, refer to Section 1030.050.00.