Social Security Makes it Easier for People with Severe Disabilities to Get Help
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 11, 2025
If you or someone you care about is living with a serious medical condition, you understand how crucial it is to receive timely support. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has recently added 13 new conditions to its Compassionate Allowances (CAL) list, which will enable more people to access disability benefits more quickly.
What’s the Compassionate Allowances List?
The CAL list is our way of fast-tracking help for people with the most severe health problems. If your condition is on this list, it’s serious enough to qualify for disability benefits and your application is moved to the front of the line.
What’s Changed?
We added these 13 conditions to the CAL list:
- Au-Kline Syndrome
- Bilateral Anophthalmia
- Carey-Fineman-Ziter Syndrome
- Harlequin Ichthyosis – Child
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
- LMNA-related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
- Progressive Muscular Atrophy
- Pulmonary Amyloidosis – AL Type
- Rasmussen Encephalitis
- Thymic Carcinoma
- Turnpenny-Fry Syndrome
- WHO Grade III Meningiomas
- Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim Syndrome
With these additions, there are now 300 conditions on the list. That means more people than ever can get the help they need, without waiting months or even years for a decision.
Why Does This Matter?
Waiting for disability benefits can be stressful, especially when you’re dealing with a life-changing diagnosis. The CAL initiative is designed to cut through the red tape for people who need help the most. Since the initiative started, over 1.1 million people have gotten benefits more quickly because their conditions were on the list.
How Does It Work?
When you apply for disability benefits, we review your medical records to see if you qualify. If your condition is on the CAL list, we use technology to flag your application and speed things up. In some cases, we can even get your medical records electronically, which makes the process even faster.
For the full list of CAL conditions, visit: ssa.gov/compassionateallowances. To start your application for disability benefits, visit: www.ssa.gov/apply.
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Felix T.
That’s fantastic news! Dealing with a serious health issue is already incredibly tough, and the added stress of navigating bureaucracy for disability benefits can be overwhelming. Hearing that the CAL initiative is helping so many people get faster access to the support they need is really encouraging. It sounds like a real step in the right direction. Geometry Dash
William S.
Enjoy getting these updates from SSA keep em coming
Libby C.
How is this social security payment based on their earned wages?
Mohammed A.
My dear social security administration.
Plz by the eyes of humanity and eyes of mercy and by the beautiful American values that put human being rights first and that what makes united states’ of America great and will be great forever.godbless USA .
I am Mohammed Abd Elatief Eltantawy Ali
From Egypt I am over 50 years old , homeless,needy,poor,and suffering from many physical disabilities and also mental disabilities.and the message took me about 5 hours to write it on paper first then type it here to you due to my mental things so I can not make any mistakes in typing.sure you understand.
I am divorced husband from my American ex wife that I been with her since 2005 with all kind of evidence such as money transfer and wedding video and fiance visa 2006.then wr got married in USA 2010 then I got divorced in 2020 without I know and with I get my alimony rights .my marriage officially is 10 years missing only 23 days to be completely 10 years
And I am disabled person and homeless and divorced since some years and my ex-wife is retired I did my SSDI application to social security through FUB Naples in Italy and my application is in Baltimore more since long time months.
What I want is that ., my credits for work is not enough to get benefits as disabled ex husband.
I want SSA to accept me as ex husband and put me on my wife credits work .it’s only 23 days missing.and I am in this marriage with her since 2005 as marriage at front of god and commen law marriage and fiannce visa engagement and she used to come live with me in Egypt.
I don’t have green card or visa to be in USA and I don’t have money to look for my rights.i hardly eat and buy my medicine and my medications.
Beside that I don’t receive any kind of help from Egyptian government or any Islamic Organization beacuse I left my Islam and my religion.i don’t believe in it but I never leave God and lord that’s why I am not receiving any help .
In Muslim countries if you leave Islam it’s so dangerous thing .and nobody care for you.
I left Islam due to the freedom I got from my living in USA .it’s something I never had in my life before,I mean freedom from Islamic religion that calls for unloved teaching and the story is big to explain and besides that it doesn’t give me peace.
I want social security administration to look to me and to my case be the eyes of freedom and humanity and mercy.
Imagine that I have no room to sleep or house or income and disabled .،beside that I receive endless hurt and bullying on me every day beacuse I married to not Muslim lady and american.people joke at me every day and hurt me
And they say bad things such what’s happening to me it’s because he lived in USA and ate pork .
Plz consider my case and put me on my ex wife credits as a humanity matter.i have endless hope and faith in your mercy.
I don’t have even my marriage certificate or my divorce certificate because it’s all in Maryland court and to get it online and mailing it by fast mail such as FedEx needs a lot of money I don’t have .
I born in 30 Jan 1975
Married at 10/14/2010
Fiancee visa 2006
Divorced 9/21/2020
I have my social security number
My name is Mohammed Abd Elatief Eltantawy Ali
My ex wife name
Deborah koory Ali
Maryland, Waldorf,sant Charles,
I am single no kidds and I am not married and never been married only to my American wife .
I don’t have any connections with super power political persons in USA to ask for help such congrass man or any body.
The only big endless connection I have is inside everyone of and in his or her heart to feel and support me
I will keep hope and faith or I will die in streets like dogs
Plz help me with that 23 days missing
God bless USA
God bless SSA
Tony C.
The recently released, “Compassionate Allowances” for SSDI are so infinitesimal, they do not bear advertising. This seems a propogandist attempt at white-washing the inhumane cuts and increasing difficulties your administration has implemented to make applying for, accessing and problem-solving interruptions of benefits you are solely to blame.
You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. I for one, repudiate this inane attempt to cloak yourselves in goodwill, when in fact your actions are evil and unjust. Please tell our idiot-in-chief’s stooge, Frank Bisignano to go “Fuck himself”, from everyone who suffers from his maladaptive changes of service.
Aaron J.
I think it’s a plan for people to look forward to a plan .from saa
John S.
Please let people know appointments are required and make everything better. The 1800 number keeps saying just go to your local office instead of being helpful and making an appointment.
ADAN B.
MY EMAIL IN MICORSOFT USEING MY OUTLOOK.COM ACCOUNT IN MX IS WITH DIARIOMEDICO AND CORREOFARMACEUTICO CREO ES EN ESPAÑA ESPERO QUE POR NORMATIVIDAD SE ME CONSIDERE OBTENER UN APOYO ECONOMICO COLCHON A PORTEGER MI DEVALUADA PETICION EN LOS HOSPITALES Y EN MIS TIMEPOS A NO USAR CUARENTENAA CONVENIENCIA DE LAS GEENRALIDADS EN LOS ARCHIVOS ANTE LA MALA ACTITUD EN ESTE TEIMPO DE GUARRA QUE SON SINONIMO DE DESQUITARSE ANTE UKRANIA COMO COARTAR LA LIBERTAD EN AMERICA COMO CIUDADANIA , POR MI PARTE PORCESO MI POSICION EN SER QOASAR DESDE 2012 EN AMNISTIA DESDE EL PUNTO DE VISTA SOBREVIVIR ANTE EL 68 Y 45 DE GUERRA Y ADHIERO LA ECONOMIA EN 29 PUES SIENTO QUE AL HABER ASISTIDO A UN AUNIVERSIDAD EN ESPERA PARA IATA EN LA UNIVERSIDADD EL TEPEYAC SITUARA UNA MJORA EN SER DE PALAICO DE HIERRO ENAGENCIA DE VIAJES ASI QUIZA ESTAR EN MODO VION EN SER TRAFFIC CONTROLER EN ALGUNAS SITUACIONES DE AEROPUERTO. ME PREOCUPA YA QUE SI UNO SE DA ASERVIR SIN AMWAY EN CUESTION DE AVANTL TLCARD EN MATERIA DE DAR A SABER QUIZA POR PARTE DE ALGUNA OTRA SITUACION DE TEENR PARTICIPACION NUMERICA ENLA ECONOMETRIA SE CONVIERTA EN MEJORA DE REWARDS A TIEMPO HORAS VUELO.
Evelyn R.
Si escribes en letras minuscules, (pequeñas) es mas fácil de entender y de leer. Es bien difícil leer las letras todas en grande. Por favor considera usar letras minúsculas especialmente cuando el texto es tan largo
Rosa A.
I’ve been waiting for my benefits since 2016 and still haven’t received them.
Lulu
It took me 7 years and that was with an attorney. Good luck
Elizabeth R.
I have been trying to make an appointment so I can take my sister to speak with someone regarding her direct deposit She changed bank account and informed SSA back in January 2025 but hasn’t received any deposits. She is in a nursing home with only a land line phone and no computer
I was on hold 2 hrs with SSA and informed I could not make the in person appointment for her.
What can a person in her situation do?
Lisa A.
I would call your Congressman or woman for help.