The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program is notoriously slow-moving. Applicants often wait months to hear back about their initial applications. If they must appeal in pursuit of benefits, the process can take even longer.
Some people spend two years or longer waiting for the benefits they need because they cannot work. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is aware of its lengthy processing times and the significant negative impact delays in benefit approval can have for those with terminal or truly debilitating medical conditions. Some people are eligible for faster approval under the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances program.
What is a Compassionate Allowance?
There are some medical conditions so severe that an individual is almost certain to struggle with that condition for the rest of their life or die from it. As such, the SSA can approve those with particularly serious medical conditions in a matter of days or weeks through the Compassionate Allowances program.
The SSA uses specialized software to scan initial applications. There are keywords programmed into the software that helps screen for especially debilitating medical conditions. The SSA has a list of dozens of medical conditions that can make people eligible for the Compassionate Allowances program with minimal wait time.
Conditions that may qualify people for compassionate allowances include:
- Stage 4 (widely-metastasized) cancer
- Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease
- Wolman’s disease
- Edward’s syndrome (Trisomy 18)
- Trisomy 9
- Congenital Lymphedema
- Aortic atresia
- Seckel syndrome
- Merosin Deficient Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
- Gaucher Disease (GD) – Type 2
- Lowe syndrome
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Hepatorenal syndrome
This system allows those who are truly unable to work and who could very well die before they receive standard SSDI benefit approval to obtain baseline financial support faster than the average SSDI applicant. The inclusion of the right details in initial application paperwork is critical for those hoping to gain access through the compassionate allowances program.
An attorney familiar with the various challenges faced by SSDI applicants can assist those dealing with debilitating medical conditions and in need of benefits as soon as possible. Reviewing a diagnosis with a legal professional could be the first step toward a successful SSDI application expedited by the Compassionate Allowances program.
