Social Security Announces Expansion of Compassionate Allowances
Acting Commissioner of Social Security Carolyn W. Colvin announced on Wednesday, January 15th, that the Social Security Administration had added 25 new Compassionate Allowance conditions, bringing the total number of conditions on the list to 225.
Social Security Disability’s Compassionate Allowance system expedites claims made by Americans with the most serious disabilities to ensure that they begin receiving Social Security Disability benefits within days instead of months or years. The program allows the agency to quickly identify applicants with illnesses or disabilities that clearly fit Social Security Disability guidelines. To date, almost 200,000 people have been quickly approved through the Compassionate Allowance system.
The new conditions added to the list include a dozen cancers, and cover disorders that affect the digestive, neurological, immune, and multiple body systems.
“We are dedicated to providing vulnerable Americans with faster access to disability benefits through our Compassionate Allowances program,” said Acting Commissioner Colvin. “Social Security disability benefits are a vital lifeline for individuals who are facing severe diseases and we must ensure that they receive the benefits they rightly deserve.”
New Compassionate Allowances Conditions
- Angiosarcoma
- Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor
- Chronic Idiopathic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction
- Coffin- Lowry Syndrome
- Esthesioneuroblastoma
- Giant Axonal Neuropathy
- Hoyeaal-Hreidarsson Syndrome
- Intracranial Hemangiopericytoma
- Joubert Syndrome
- Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis
- Liposarcoma- metastatic or recurrent
- Malignant Ectomesenchymoma
- Malignant Renal Rhabdoid Tumor
- Marshall-Smith Syndrome
- Oligodendroglioma Brain Tumor- Grade III
- Pallister-Killian Syndrome
- Progressive Bulbar Palsy
- Prostate Cancer – Hormone Refractory Disease – or with visceral metastases
- Revesz Syndrome
- Seckel Syndrome
- Sjogren-Larsson Syndrome
- Small Cell Cancer of the Thymus
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma- with distant metastases or recurrent
- X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease
- X-Linked Myotubular Myopathy
Proving You Need Social Security Disability Benefits
The standard of disability that must be shown is the same for both programs.
You must have a physical or mental problem (or a combination of problems) severe enough to prevent you from working in any regular paying job (“substantial gainful activity”) for at least 12 months. Your condition must interfere with basic work-related activities such as sitting, standing, walking, concentrating, or maintaining persistence and pace for your claim to be considered. If your condition does not interfere with the above work-related activities, Social Security will find that you are not disabled. If your condition does interfere with basic work-related activities, you should consider applying for social security disability.
Disability due to drug or alcohol addiction is not covered, but certain physical or mental conditions as a result of a prior addiction may be covered.
In determining disability, the test is not whether you would be offered a job, but whether there are jobs which you could perform. For those over 55 years old, new regulations allow a more realistic look at age, education, and experience in making this analysis.
For each of the major body systems, Social Security maintains a list of medical conditions that are so severe, being diagnosed with one automatically qualifies you for disability. If your condition is not on the list, Social Security will have to decide if it is of equal severity to a medical condition that is on the list. If it is, you will be found disabled.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Social Security Benefits Claim
Applying for Social Security Disability or Retirement Insurance can be complex. However, we understand that you need your benefits and we will put our years of experience to work for you to ensure that you have the representation necessary to actively pursue your claim. Call the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm today to discuss your Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income case today. We will be glad to discuss any questions you may have during our free, confidential consultation. Call the experienced attorneys at the Strom Law Firm at (803)252-4800.
Leave a Reply