416.265—Requirements for the special SSI eligibility status.
In order to be eligible for the special SSI eligibility status, you must have been eligible to receive a regular SSI benefit or a federally administered State supplementary payment (see § 416.2001) in a month before the month for which we are making the special SSI eligibility status determination. The month you were eligible for a regular SSI benefit or a federally administered State supplementary payment may not be in a prior period of eligibility which has been terminated according to §§ 416.1331 through 416.1335. For periods prior to May 1, 1991, you must be under age 65. Also, we must establish that:
(a)
You are blind or you continue to have a disabling impairment which, if drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor material to the determination of disability as described in § 416.935, has not resulted in your receiving SSI cash benefits, special SSI cash benefits, or special SSI eligibility status for a total of 36 months, or Social Security benefit payments when treatment was available for a total of 36 months;
(b)
Except for your earnings, you meet all the nondisability requirements for eligibility for SSI benefits (see § 416.202 );
(c)
The termination of your eligibility for Medicaid would seriously inhibit your ability to continue working (see § 416.268 ); and
(d)
Your earnings after the exclusions in § 416.1112(c) (6), (8), and (9) are not sufficient to allow you to provide yourself with a reasonable equivalent of the benefits (SSI benefits, federally administered State supplementary payments, Medicaid, and publicly-funded attendant care services, including personal care assistance under § 416.269(d)) which would be available to you if you did not have those earnings (see § 416.269 ).