Qualifying for Social Security disability benefits is a challenging and long process. But applicants with certain serious life-threatening conditions need quicker decisions.
In attempt to address this situation the Social Security Administration has developed the Compassionate Allowances program for disabled workers who have medical conditions that are so serious that it’s plainly obvious they would qualify for benefits. Under this program called “CAL” for short, Social Security fast tracks disability determinations to certain qualified applicants.
Not all conditions qualify for CAL. This program only applies to a specific list of severe impairments. For example, a person can qualify for a Compassionate Allowance if they can document they have inoperable cancer which cannot be completely removed, or has spread to other parts of their body. Other conditions which may be eligible for Compassionate Allowance consideration include ALS, some types of muscular dystrophy and muscular atrophy, early-onset Alzheimer's disease, certain adult brain disorders, and several rare disorders that affect children.
Recently, Social Security added nine new Compassionate Allowances (CAL) conditions and revisions to two existing CAL conditions:
- Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome,
- Costello Syndrome,
- Adult Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1-4,
- Child Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1A/1B (revised existing condition),
- Histiocytic Malignancies,
- Histiocytosis Syndromes (revised existing condition),
- Neonatal Marfan Syndrome,
- PACS1 Syndrome,
- Plasmablastic Lymphoma,
- Renal Medullary Carcinoma,
- Snijders Blok-Campeau Syndrome.
In announcing the CAL additions, Commissioner Martin O'Malley said, "I am steadfastly committed to reducing the amount of time people wait to receive a decision on their disability claim, and we are making progress. Compassionate Allowances helps in this effort by accelerating the disability application process for people who are likely to get approved for benefits due to the severity of their medical condition."
With these additions to the list, there are a total of 287 conditions which qualify for CAL. (Use this link for the complete list of Compassionate Allowance conditions: https://www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/conditions.htm.)
Usually, CAL applicants do not have to wait long for their payments to start—most receive Compassionate Allowance benefits within a few weeks to two months after the application is received. If you have a condition that falls under the Compassionate Allowance umbrella, the requirements for medical data to back up your claim are also less rigorous than for other disability claims.
While Compassionate Allowances can mean a faster disability determination, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries still have to wait five months after their disability onset date to begin receiving benefits and 24 months after their onset date before Medicare benefits kick in.
If you believe your disability claim should be fast tracked under the CAL provisions call or email the disability attorneys at Cuddigan Law without delay. We will give you a free evaluation of your situation. Together we can discuss whether your claim qualifies under Social Security’s Compassionate Allowance regulation.
