In our last post we discussed the Compassionate Allowances initiative. It is a way for the Social Security Administration to expedite the processing of claims for benefits for individuals with certain serious medical conditions.
There is no specific application process for those with conditions on this list. Individuals will use the standard process and the administration will expedite the claims of those individuals that have conditions that are on the list. The administration will not notify applicants if their claim is chosen for expedited processing. Instead they will just process the claim and reach out to the applicant if they need further information.
So the biggest question that some of our readers may be wondering: what kind of conditions are on this list? Naturally, they have to fit the definition of disability as outlined by the Social Security Administration. Disability is based on an individual’s inability to work. Basically, a person is considered disabled and may qualift for Social Security Disability benefits if they can no longer do the work they used to do, they cannot adjust to other types of work due to their condition, and the disability will likely last or has lasted for at least one year, or if it will result in death. The disability cannot be partial or short-term. The administration only pays for total disability.
There are many different types of cancers on the list, including breast cancer, bladder cancer, and a variety of cancers that affect children. Other less-well-known conditions, such as Tay Sachs Disease and Wolf-Hirschhorn Disease, are on the list as well. To see the list, visit the Compassionate Allowances website.