It can be quite difficult to secure disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. The approval process is long and complicated, and there can be denials, appeals and reconsiderations before an applicant ever gets the financial support he or she needs. There are certain medical conditions that are eligible for an expedited approval process, and the SSA recently added five additional specific illnesses to this list.
Compassionate Allowances is a program offered by the SSA that expedites benefits applications for those with certain types of medical conditions. This program identifies conditions that meet the requirements of a disabling condition as described by the SSA and are particularly serious. The goal of the program is to get deserving individuals with grave conditions their benefits faster.
Applicants with particularly severe conditions may need benefits more urgently because their physical and financial needs are especially significant. Some of the conditions recently added to the Compassionate Allowances include secondary adenocarcinoma of the brain, desmoplastic small round cell tumors, juvenile and infantile forms of GM1 Gangliosidosis, Nicolaides-Baraister Syndrome and Rubinstein-Tybai Syndrome. Individuals with an official diagnosis of these conditions now have a higher chance of a timely approval of their disability benefits claim.
Any California disability applicant will find it beneficial to work with an experienced attorney. An assessment of the individual case can help them understand what medical conditions could make them eligible for benefits or the Compassionate Allowances program. With help, it may be possible to avoid many of the frustrations and setbacks associated with trying to secure financial support from the SSA.