The process of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) often takes months. Occasionally, it can even extend beyond a full year. For those dealing with pain and other debilitating symptoms, waiting for disability benefits while unable to work can leave claimants vulnerable to financial hardship. Disabled individuals may also struggle to get the care they need to treat their medical conditions.
Fortunately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has established something known as the Compassionate Allowances (CAL) program. Compassionate Allowances helps the SSA decrease wait times for Social Security Disability (SSD) claimants with severe disabilities. This initiative is essential for many people in need. It provides financial assistance in a shorter period of time compared to the customary disability determination process used to assess claims.
If you would like to learn more about the Social Security Disability Compassionate Allowances process, continue reading.
How Does the Compassionate Allowances Program Work?
The SSA uses advanced technology to identify applications that clearly meet the criteria required to qualify for disability benefits. These applications are flagged for further evaluation once they are submitted. A claimant must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition on the Compassionate Allowances list to be considered eligible.
CAL conditions include many serious disorders and rare diseases. Many of these are brain disorders, specific types of cancer, terminal illnesses, and rare disorders that affect children.
Some examples include:
- Adult Onset Huntington Disease
- Acute Leukemia
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Bladder Cancer with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
- Breast Cancer with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
- Child Lymphoma
- Dravet Syndrome
- Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
- Erdheim Chester Disease
- Esophageal Cancer
- Fatal Familial Insomnia
- Fulminant Giant Cell Myocarditis
- Gallbladder Cancer
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
- Joubert Syndrome
- Juvenile Onset Huntington Disease
- Malignant Multiple Sclerosis
- Multiple System Atrophy
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Primary Effusion Lymphoma
- Richter Syndrome
- Sinonasal Cancer
- Skin Malignant Melanoma with Metastases
- Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Wolman Disease
- Zellweger Syndrome
The Social Security Administration evaluates conditions that qualify for CAL for both SSDI and SSI claims. In many cases, the severity level of a claimant’s condition will be considered when determining eligibility for expedited processing.
Contact Patrick J. Kelly Law Office
If you’re struggling to stay afloat financially due to a disability that leaves you unable to work, you may be eligible for SSDI or SSI benefits. If your condition is severe and on the SSD Compassionate Allowances list, you may also be eligible for expedited benefit payments and claim review.
Filing for Social Security Disability benefits can be incredibly complicated and tedious. The SSA has strict criteria and guidelines in place to prevent fraudulent claims. This makes the claims process difficult to navigate for most individuals.
To help ensure you’re giving yourself the best chance of obtaining the benefits you deserve, contact our law firm to schedule a free consultation. At Patrick J. Kelly Law Office, we are your qualified legal advocates in the fight for Social Security Disability.
