A Compassionate Allowance Can Expedite the Award of SSDI or SSI Benefits

If you were to mention your application to the Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSDI) or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs to someone with only passing familiarity with the programs, they might ask about how long of a wait you experienced. Unfortunately, many Americans have heard friends or loved ones talk about the sometimes long disability delays that can come with applying for benefits. But, the Social Security Administration recognizes its obligation to certain seriously ill applicants to provide needed benefits quickly and without excessive administrative burdens. To this end the SSA has created the Compassionate Allowances program.

Fayetteville AR disability lawyer Ken Kieklak, Attorney at Law has helped hard working Arkansans who have gotten sick or developed a serious impairment for more than 20 years. Ken is dedicated to providing SSDI and SSI guidance in for the residents of Bentonville, Springdale, Rogers, and all of Northwestern Arkansas.

What is a Compassionate Allowance?

Compassionate Allowances have been designed so the SSA can identify those medical conditions that will nearly always qualify as a Listed Impairment based on only a minimal level of objective medical reports. Applicants for both SSDI and SSI can utilize the Compassionate Allowance program. Selection for a Compassionate Allowance is on the basis of the claims presented by the applicant, alone. If the claims set forth in the application are a good fit for the SSA’s compassionate allowance criteria, the claim will be eligible for approval with only minimal objective medical data. Typically this medical information will be the objective tests that the SSA can obtain quickly.

What Conditions are on the Compassionate Allowances List?

Diseases and impairments that qualify for Compassionate Allowances are selected based on information provided to the SSA and Disability Determination Services (DDS) at public hearings. Based on opinions from medical professionals, communities, representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and scientists and the careful consideration of the SSA’s own standards, thee list was developed. The current list of Compassionate Allowances includes serious conditions such as:

• Acute Leukemia
• Adrenal Cancer
• Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Adult Onset Huntington Disease
• Angiosarcoma
• Bilateral Retinoblastoma
• Bladder Cancer – where the cancer has spread to other disparate body parts or is inoperable
• Breast Cancer – where the cancer has spread to other disparate body parts or is inoperable
• Cancer – with an unknown origin site
• Congenital Lymphedema
• Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
• Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma
• Esophageal Cancer
• Ewing Sarcoma
• Gallbladder Cancer
• Heart Transplant Graft Failure
• Heart Transplant Wait List – 1A/1B
• Kidney Cancer(inoperable)
• Liver Cancer
• Malignant Melanoma – with metastases
• Malignant Multiple Sclerosis
• Osteosarcoma (Bone cancer)
• Ovarian Cancer – where the cancer has spread to other disparate body parts or is inoperable
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Small Cell Cancer of the Prostate
• Small Cell Cancer of the Uterus
• The ALS/Parkinsonism Dementia Complex
• Thyroid Cancer
• X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease
• Zellweger Syndrome

The Compassionate Allowances list of conditions is always evolving and changing based on feedback received from doctors, scientists, public advocacy groups and others. New conditions are added to the list each year.

How Long Will It Take For a Decision?

Those who apply for SSDI or SSI with a Compassionate Allowance condition can expect significantly expedited service. The exact turnaround time will vary based on factors like how quickly medical evidence can be obtained, if a physical medical exam is necessary, and if the claim is selected for quality assurance review. In most cases, however, decisions for Compassionate Allowance conditions will be made over the course of weeks rather than over the course of months or years. An additional benefit of the program is that Compassionate Allowance applicants do not have to provide educational history or work history with their initial application because the SSA has recognized that this information is often not required to make its determination.

Rely on a Fayetteville Social Security Lawyer for Trusted SSDI and SSI Guidance

While the Compassionate Allowance program will not entitle an applicant to more money, it can ensure that the benefits the applicant are entitled to are awarded more quickly and with a reduced administrative burden. If you have questions about Social Security Disability and whether you can qualify, Arkansas disability lawyer Ken Kieklak at (479) 316-0438 today or contact us online.