Compassionate allowances is an important program through the Social Security Administration and its Social Security disability program that disabled individuals should be familiar with. Because Social Security disability can be complicated, disabled individuals may have many questions concerning compassionate allowances and Social Security disability benefits in general.
The list of compassionate allowances maintained by the Social Security Administration is used to quickly identify medical conditions that definitionally meet Social Security’s requirements to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. There are a number of different illnesses on the compassionate allowances list that includes certain cancers, adult brain disorders, rare disorders impacting children and other diseases and illnesses as well. The list of compassionate allowances is updated with new medical conditions with the input of a variety of different groups.
The compassionated allowances list allows for the expedited processing of a claim for benefits because it includes medical conditions that are considered so severe they clearly qualify for benefits. Because the process of waiting for Social Security disability benefits can be long, disabled individuals who suffer from a medical condition on the compassionate allowances list need to be aware of the possibility of having the processing of their claim expedited is they suffer from a medical condition on the compassionate allowances list.
Maintaining a list of compassionate allowances reduces the wait time for disabled individuals with the most serious disabilities which makes it an important list to be familiar with. Social Security disability benefits are vital for many disabled individuals and their families which is why it is essential to know how to qualify for Social Security disability benefits and the different ways a disabled individual may qualify.
Source: Social Security Administration, “Compassionate Allowances,” Accessed Nov. 7, 2017