Social Security Expands Compassionate Allowances Program

The accelerated process through the Compassionate Allowances program has allowed more than 700,000 people with severe disabilities to be approved. 

On Monday, August 16th, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Kilolo Kijakazi, announced 12 new Compassionate Allowances conditions. Compassionate Allowances is an initiative that allows certain conditions to be quickly identified and qualified for disability benefits through Social Security. 

The 12 new conditions are as follows: 

• Charlevoix Saguenay Spastic Ataxia (ARSACS), Choroid Plexus Carcinoma
• CIC-rearranged Sarcoma
• Congenital Zika Syndrome
• Desmoplastic Mesothelioma
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – Adult
• Pericardial Mesothelioma
• Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Renpenning Syndrome
• SCN8A Related Epilepsy with Encephalopathy
• SYNGAP1-related NSID
• Taybi-Linder Syndrome

This process of quickly qualifying certain conditions helps the department address barriers by accelerating the disability application process for those approved for benefits due to the severity of their medical condition. “Everyone who is eligible for benefits under the programs we administer should receive them,” said Acting Commissioner Kijakazi.

An applicant’s condition or disease may meet Social Security’s statutory standard for disability. The program can quickly identify these claims and expedite them. Unfortunately, many of these conditions are so inherently serious that the severity does not matter. For example, certain cancers and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) qualify for this category. Also included are several rare disorders that affect children. The accelerated process through the Compassionate Allowances program has allowed more than 700,000 people with severe disabilities to be approved. 

The Social Security Administration will request medical records to make accurate assessments of benefit eligibility. Through the program, the agency utilizes leading technology to identify potential qualifying conditions and make quick decisions. The IT brings the speed and efficiency of electronic medical records to the determination process. 

The Compassionate Allowances program can make the process quicker but still be confusing and slow for some. If you have a critical case, there are experienced attorneys in your corner that can help. Contact the Social Security Disability law firm of Turley Redmond & Rosasco to get started. Use our online form or call us at 516-745-5666 (Garden City), 631-582-3700 (Ronkonkoma), or 631-399-0400 (Shirley).