Waiting for Disability Benefits While Unable to Work
It can take several months, or over a year in some cases, to apply for and receive disability benefits. The lengthy claims process can affect people filing for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Waiting for disability payments can increase financial challenges for many individuals, and force them to delay necessary medical treatment. To address this, the Social Security Administration (SSA) established the Compassionate Allowances (CAL) initiative. This program helps reduce wait times for SSD claimants with rare illnesses and severe disabilities, providing financial assistance faster than the standard process.
What Is Compassionate Allowances for Social Security Disability?
The Compassionate Allowances program allows the Social Security Administration to quickly identify qualifying disability claims. Disability applicants who have a disorder that is on the Compassionate Allowances conditions list automatically meet the SSA’s eligibility criteria. Therefore, their applications get flagged for expedited evaluation.
CAL conditions include many serious diseases, such as terminal illnesses, rare disorders affecting children, cancers, brain disorders, and more. Some examples include:
- Adult Onset Huntington Disease
- Alstrom Syndrome
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Batten Disease
- Bladder Cancer with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
- Child Lymphoma
- Coffin-Lowry Syndrome
- Dravet Syndrome
- Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
- Esophageal Cancer
- Fatal Familial Insomnia
- Fibrolamellar Cancer
- Gallbladder Cancer
- Heart Transplant Graft Failure
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
- Joubert Syndrome
- Juvenile Onset Huntington Disease
- Lewy Body Dementia
- Malignant Multiple Sclerosis
- Multiple System Atrophy
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Obliterative Bronchiolitis
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Peripheral Nerve Cancer, metastatic or recurrent
- Perry Syndrome
- Richter Syndrome
- Salivary Cancers
- Skin Malignant Melanoma with metastases
- Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Wolman Disease
- Zellweger Syndrome
The SSA evaluates these conditions for both SSDI and SSI claims. No matter which Social Security Disability benefits program you’re filing for, CAL ensures you’ll receive necessary financial assistance promptly.
Contact Ficek Law, PC for Help With Your Disability Claim
If you’re trying to figure out the disability application process, reach out to our law firm today. Our Attorney Anton G. Ficek has years of experience helping clients get the benefits they need.
If your medical condition or that of a loved one is on the Social Security Compassionate Allowances list, you may be approved for benefits quickly. Regardless, filing a claim can be complicated. The SSA has many rules and guidelines in place to help prevent fraudulent claims. Unfortunately, this can lead to legitimate claims being denied.
Our firm can speed up the filing process and ensure you don’t make any mistakes on your application. If you’re ready to increase your chances of obtaining SSDI or SSI benefits, contact Ficek Law, PC for a free consultation.
