For people with very serious disabilities, the Compassionate Allowances (CAL) initiative can
provide them with disability benefits much faster than if they were to go through the normal
application process.
Started in 2008 by the Social Security Administration (SSA), CAL established an accelerated application process that quickly identifies and processes claims in which the applicant’s condition or disease clearly meets the disability standards. Currently, 266 conditions are eligible for CAL, including more than 60 cancers, Huntington’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and many others.
Just last month, the SSA added twelve (12) new diseases to the list, and it is constantly evaluating others that require CAL’s expedited application process. In a typical claim for disability benefits, applicants must provide medical records that show:
1) They have a qualifying medical impairment
2) The impairment is so severe that it affects their ability to work
Since the severity of the conditions recognized under CAL clearly fall within SSA’s requirements for receiving benefits, claims are often granted solely on the confirmation of a medical diagnosis. This dramatically reduces wait times and provides much-needed assistance quickly.
According to Acting Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi, more than 800,000 people have been
granted disability benefits through the CAL initiative. The process established by CAL is the
same for both Social Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
Applications.
If you, or someone you know has questions about applying for benefits under the Compassionate Allowances program, please contact Match Disability Law for more information.
