The Social Security Administration has created what is known as the Compassionate Allowances program. The purpose is to allow claimants who have certain severe conditions that have been determined to clearly meet Social Security Disability guidelines to be accelerated through the claims process. For the most part, the listings are rare and so severe that their quality of life is significantly diminished.
Most of the conditions that can be found on the compassionate allowances list are so severe that they would be expected to rapidly end in death. Others are such that an individual would suffer from significant, lifelong disabilities that would make it impossible to work. Conditions include various types of cancer, such as acute leukemia, Non-Hodkins lymphoma, or esophageal cancer, certain blood disorders, such as aplastic anemia, or rare autoimmune diseases and several types of neurological disorders.
Once any one of these conditions has been medically determined, the Social Security Administration will take the necessary steps to expedite the disability claim. Rather than having to wait months for an initial approval, or even years for a hearing date on an appeal, a claimant with a compassionate allowance listing can be approved to receive Social Security Disability in as little as a week.
An attorney can review medical records and make a qualifying determination of a compassionate allowance condition. Once determined, they can communicate with the Social Security office on a claimant’s behalf to make them aware of the condition and potentially have a claim expedited so the claimant can receive the Social Security Disability Benefits they deserve.