Compassionate allowances in Social Security Disability Insurance

It is no secret applying for Social Security Disability Insurance takes a long time. In Charlotte, it takes an average of 20 months for an applicant to get a hearing with a Social Security Administration hearing officer.

These delays are caused by several factors, but if you are living with a terminal illness or condition, you may not have nearly two years to wait for needed SSDI benefits.

Compassion for the severely disabled

The SSA gives people in this situation a way to jump ahead in line. A program called Compassionate Allowances is a way to speed up the process for the most severely disabled applicants who obviously meet the standards for SSDI or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

The SSA keeps a list of conditions that qualify patients for a compassionate allowance. The list is long but includes things like:

• Cancer
• Brain disorders
• Childhood disorders

The idea is that these conditions are likely to end in death before the applicant can get approved for benefits or successfully appeal a denied claim. For people with a terminal illness, time is precious. They should spend their remaining time as comfortable as possible, not worrying about paying for their medical bills and household expenses.

The process of getting approved for SSDI or SSI benefits is very complicated, and the SSA rejects most initial applications. Your best chance at receiving your rightful disability benefits is to retain an experienced SSDI attorney. Your lawyer will make sure your application or appeal is detailed and complete, and represent you at the hearing.