What is a compassionate allowance for SSDI?

On Behalf of | Aug 18, 2021 | Social Security Disability

People who file for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) likely know that they can expect a long wait for a decision — and approvals aren’t guaranteed.

For some people, however, the situation is different. Some applicants who have life-threatening medical conditions might not have the time to wait on the usual process because their condition is terminal. Those individuals might qualify for the Compassionate Allowances program.

What is a compassionate allowance?

The Compassionate Allowances program is a shortened application process for SSDI. It is only for certain conditions that have been pre-determined to be severe by the Social Security Administration. When an applicant puts in an application for benefits based on one of the allowed conditions, the system will flag the application for faster processing.

Your medical records must indicate that you have a diagnosis that falls under the terms of the program. People who are able to qualify for benefits under this program will likely receive them faster than those who have to go through the primary application process:

Some of the conditions that qualify for this program include:

  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adults
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Parkinsonism dementia complex or ALS
  • Child neuroblastoma that’s recurrent or with distant metastases
  • Infantile Krabbe disease
  • Liver cancer
  • Stage V retinopathy of prematurity
  • Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease
  • Heart transplant waitlist classification 1A or 1B

Anyone who is applying for disability benefits should learn about their rights. If a condition qualifies for the Compassionate Allowances program, the battle to get those benefits might not be as intense. Having someone on your side who’s familiar with this program and the nuances of it is likely beneficial.