To qualify for SBP, the blind person must be a Pennsylvania resident and at least 21 years old.
A person meets the age requirement on the first day of the month the person becomes 21. If the person’s birth date is unknown, the birth date for SBP purposes is July 1. If the month is known but not the day, consider the first of the month as the birthday.
The blind person must prove the year of birth. Acceptable proof includes:
Birth certificates
Baptismal certificates
School, hospital or doctor’s records
Marriage certificates
Insurance policies
Civil or military service records
Enrollment record of voting districts
A person is a resident of Pennsylvania if the person is living in the state when the person applies, and not for a temporary purpose.
An inmate of a penal, reform, or correctional institution is not eligible for SBP. A person who is a resident of any other public or private medical facility may be eligible for SBP if all other eligibility requirements for SBP are met and the person is free to make financial arrangements and is free to leave the facility at any time.
Reviewed October 7, 2024, Replacing March 23, 2023