Compassionate Allowances: A shortcut to Social Security Disability

March 16, 2013

Anyone who has filed an application for Social Security Disability benefits knows that the process can take some time. According to the Social Security Administration, it takes three to five months just to receive an initial decision on a disability claim. Should your claim be initially denied, moving through the different levels of appeal can take many more months or even years.

However, since 2008 the Social Security Administration has operated a special process to expedite cases involving those with certain conditions. Known as the Compassionate Allowances initiative, this program allows anyone who provides a base level of objective medical evidence proving they have one of the listed conditions to begin receiving disability checks in days rather than months.

Compassionate Allowances program only applies to those with certain conditions

The original list of Compassionate Allowances contained just 50 conditions. Over time, more conditions were added, bringing the total as of early 2013 to 200. The conditions on the list mainly include certain serious cancers, adult brain disorders and a variety of rare disorders that affect children.

To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, you generally must have been working and paying into Social Security Disability for a certain amount of time before you became disabled, and your disability must be serious enough that it is expected to prevent you from working for at least 12 months or to result in death. Before the Compassionate Allowances list, the only way to get benefits was to submit individualized evidence proving the severity of your disability and showing how it would keep you from working for a year or more.

For many applicants who needed benefits immediately, this meant months of delay, even when their disability was relatively obvious. With the Compassionate Allowances list in place, however, all that is required is a minimum amount of objective medical evidence to show a diagnosis of one of the listed conditions. It is assumed that anyone with one of the listed conditions will be unable to work, eliminating one of the greatest evidentiary challenges in a Social Security Disability claim.

Someone who has a condition on the Compassionate Allowances list can begin receiving benefits as early as two weeks after filing a claim. Since the inception of the Compassionate Allowances program, nearly 200,000 Americans have been approved for disability benefits through the expedited process.

Trouble getting your Social Security Disability benefits? Talk to a lawyer

If you have become unable to work due to a disability, you may wish to speak to a Social Security Disability attorney. Most Social Security Disability claims -- 65 percent of them nationally -- are initially denied. An experienced attorney can help you craft a strong legal argument and give you the best chances at getting the benefits you need.

Contact an attorney today for help with your Social Security Disability claim. You'll be glad you did.

Article provided by Bohm, Matsen, Kegel & Aguilera, L.L.P.
Visit us at www.ssdlawcalifornia.com/