Social Security Disability is a vital program for American workers with disabilities. Fortunately, the government saves people’s Social Security taxes so when they become disabled or reach retirement age, they have something to fall back on.
To prevent abuse of the Social Security Disability program, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a very strict definition of a disability and its application process holds applicants to the highest standards. Because the disability program has such strict eligibility requirements, applying and receiving approval takes time – for some people the six month or so wait is too long. And to help, the SSA created Compassionate Allowances.
Compassionate Allowances Conditions
According to the SSA, “Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits.” The SSA continues, “These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children.”
The goal of the CAL initiative is to help people with serious conditions by reducing the waiting time for a disability determination. The Compassionate Allowances program is specifically designed to identify those claims made by individuals whose medical conditions clearly meet the SSA’s requirement for a disability.
As a general rule, the SSA considers someone to be “disabled” if they have a condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death.
Examples of CAL Conditions:
- Acute leukemia
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer (inoperable or unresectable or with distant metastases)
- Esophageal cancer
- Fatal familial insomnia
- Gallbladder cancer
- Heart transplant wait list
- Joubert Syndrome
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
To see the SSA’s full list of Compassionate Allowances Conditions, click here.To learn more about disability benefits, check out: 6 Facts About Social Security Disability.
To file a Social Security Disability claim, contact The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC to schedule a consultation with an experienced member of our legal team.
