disability insurance benefits for the blind; special provisions

disability insurance benefits for the blind; special provisions Sec. 344. (a) Section 216(i)(3) of the Social Security Act (as amended by section 303 of this Act) is further amended by striking out subparagraph (B) and all that follows and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “(B) (i) he had not less than 20 quarters of coverage during the 40-quarter period which ends with such quarter, or “(ii) if such quarter ends before he attains (or would attain) age 31 and he is under a disability by reason of blindness (as 79 Stat. 413defined in paragraph (1)), not less than one-half (and not less than 6) oi the quarters during the period ending with such quarter and beginning after he attained the age of 21 were quarters of coverage, or (if the number of quarters in such period is less than 12) not less than 6 of the quarters in the 12-quarter period ending with such quarter were quarters of coverage; except that the provisions of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall not apply in the case of an individual with respect to whom a period of disability would, but for such subparagraph, begin before 1951. For purposes of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, when the number of quarters in any period is an odd number, such number shall be reduced by one, and a quarter shall not be counted as part of any period if any part of such quarter was included in a prior period of disability unless such quarter was a quarter of coverage.” (b) Section 223(c)(1) of such Act is amended by striking out subparagraph (B) and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “(B) (i) he had not less than 20 quarters of coverage during the 40-quarter period which ends with the quarter in which such month occurred, or “(ii) if such month ends before he attains (or would attain) age 31 and he is under a disability by reason of blindness (as defined in section 216(i)(1)), not less than one-half (and not less than 6) of the quarters during the period ending with the quarter in which such month occurred and beginning after he attained the age of 21 were quarters of coverage, or (if the number of quarters in such period is less than 12) not less than 6 of the quarters in the 12-quarter period ending with such quarter were quarters of coverage. For purposes of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, when the number of quarters in any period is an odd number, such number shall be reduced by one, and a quarter shall not be counted as part of any period if any part of such quarter was included in a period of disability unless such quarter was a quarter of coverage.” (c) Section 223(a)(1) of such Act (as amended by section 303 of this Act) is further amended by adding the following sentence at the end thereof: “No payment under this paragraph may be made to an individual who would not meet the definition of disability in subsection (c)(2) except for subparagraph (B) thereof for any month in which he engages in substantial gainful activity, and no payment may be made for such month under subsection (b), (c), or (d) of section 202 to any person on the basis of the wages and self-employment income of such individual.” (d) The first sentence of section 223(c)(2) of such Act (as amended by section 303 of this Act) is further amended by adding after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph: “(B) in the case of an individual who has attained the age of 55 and is blind (within the meaning of ‘blindness’ as defined in section 216(i)(1)), inability by reason of such blindness to engage in substantial gainful activity requiring skills or abilities comparable to those of any gainful activity in which he has previously engaged with some regularity and over a substantial period of time.” (e) The amendments made by this section shall apply only with respect to monthly benefits under title II of the Social Security Act for months after the first month following the month in which this Act is enacted, on the basis of applications for such benefits filed in or after the month in which this Act is enacted.