Social Security Expands Compassionate Allowances List – Expedites Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 15, 2024
Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced nine new Compassionate Allowances (CAL) conditions and revisions to two existing CAL conditions: Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, Costello Syndrome, Adult Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1-4, Child Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1A/1B (revised existing condition), Histiocytic Malignancies, Histiocytosis Syndromes (revised existing condition), Neonatal Marfan Syndrome, PACS1 Syndrome, Plasmablastic Lymphoma, Renal Medullary Carcinoma, and Snijders Blok-Campeau Syndrome.
The Compassionate Allowances program quickly identifies claims where the applicant’s medical condition or disease clearly meets Social Security’s statutory standard for disability. Due to the severe nature of many of these conditions, these claims are often allowed based on medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone.
To date, more than one million people with severe disabilities have been approved through this accelerated, policy-compliant disability process, which now includes a total of 287 conditions.
“I am steadfastly committed to reducing the amount of time people wait to receive a decision on their disability claim, and we are making progress,” said Commissioner O’Malley. “Compassionate Allowances helps in this effort by accelerating the disability application process for people who are likely to get approved for benefits due to the severity of their medical condition.”
When a person applies for disability benefits, Social Security must obtain medical records in order to make an accurate determination. The agency incorporates leading technology to identify potential CAL conditions and make quick decisions. Social Security’s Health IT brings the speed and efficiency of electronic medical records to the disability determination process. Through electronic records transmission, Social Security is able to quickly obtain a claimant’s medical information, review it, and make a determination faster than ever before.
For more information about the program, including a list of all CAL conditions, please visit www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances.
To learn more about Social Security’s Health IT program, please visit www.ssa.gov/hit.
People may apply online for disability benefits by visiting www.ssa.gov.
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Tags: Disability, social security disability benefits, SSI, supplemental security income
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Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
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David A.
I was married 15 years. Divorced, 5 years later went on disability from a motorcycle accident! I just recently turned 62 , my X wife made more than I did ! I filed for spousal support! Being I get $850/month on disability I need more to survive! I just received my first spousal support payment yesterday, a whopping $275 ! Why such a small percentage! I thought it would be 50% being I can’t and have not worked since 2006 motorcycle accident! Is there any way I can get a larger percentage!
Andrea G.
Let me comment on fraud ..I have a letter where I was accepted to pay back just 10 percent of my income in August but they kept it all so in Sept I got a letter saying they will only take $21. A month then this is the fraud it goes on to say as you requested we are withholding additional $189. For Medicare copay .and dshs pays the copay for me. That is fraud on part of social security so they took all my money in Sept too because although I am due my $1120 payment they still give me what ever they want then take it all for overpayment . I turned in all paper work in jan and Feb and they said in August when I went to see why nothing has happened they said oh our mistake we took paperwork but it has just sat in a file and never was processed. And this is fact please contact me . I have all the letters .
Demetra W.
Do I qualify I have diabetes type 2 and depression and anxiety and sleep disorder and I wear eyeglasses and I see things and hear things
S.S.
Hi, Demetra. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. The Compassionate Allowances program quickly identifies claims where the applicant’s medical condition or disease clearly meets Social Security’s statutory standard for disability. Due to the severe nature of many of these conditions, these claims are often allowed based on medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone. Please visit our Compassionate Allowances page to learn more about the program, and to see the list of all the CAL conditions. We hope this helps.
Estroberto g.
This is bull my boyfriend has ALS turned in paperwork and has had no payments. For over a year because of an over payment they froze his account and have taken everything towards overpayment but we can’t see it and in one year three months 14,000 over payment would be done . And still not one penny he is less than one hundred pounds we go into office crying begging for anything even $100 to buy underwear and they say no we need award letter from lump sum you got in May 2023 . And this is real look at his case . And we proved he hasn’t received l ni for over a year still nothing at all he said let me apply for retirement then they made him wait 2 months to apply his appointment is. The 13th .
FB
Each and every representative I have spoken to since June tells me they either can’t, don’t know how to, or not their job to “flag” a compassionate allowance application. This is prior to, during and after the interview was conducted. Supervisor also consulted at the local field office and we were told it would have to be “approved ‘ for compassionate allowance at the interview & then during interview we were told they can’t, don’t know how, or are not able to “flag” an application. Then we were told by DDS app. cannot be flagged until assigned to an examiner. I called DDS again today & was told application should have been flagged by local field office & she would refer to a supervisor to flag/assign.
Email to SSA alsi had no success, just a generic response.
Finally, someone has a clue. We’re to call back Monday. Fingers crossed. This has taken months in oder for this very apparent compassionate allowance to be flagged.
Dennis W.
Because it’s not giving me what I want and the app you use to get in there it’s refusing to let me in it says already got an account and I don’t know I deleted it but it still showing
Crystal G.
When do I get the cost of living increase?
Holly
I am really sorry for your experience! I’m about to apply and never even heard of this compassionate allowance until a friend told me.
I hope you were considered and approved by now!
Fellow SSI Claimant.