SSD Compassionate Allowance and Benefits in Kentucky

Social Security Disability (SSD) claimants with certain medical conditions are able to get benefits quickly through the Compassionate Allowance program.

If you have suffered a disability and are unable to work for at least one year or have a condition expected to end in death, you may be eligible for SSD benefits. These benefits are typically difficult to receive during the initial application process. The Social Security Administration (SSA) approves only a fraction of the applications they receive every year.

Although many claimants go on to successfully appeal the decision, it often takes over a year before they can begin receiving benefits. Even in the best-case scenario, it can take five or six months before you receive your first payment.

Fortunately, the SSA recognizes that not everyone can wait this long to receive benefits. After all, you’re unable to work yet medical expenses and the daily costs of living are piling up. For this reason, the SSA also offers Compassionate Allowances.

It takes Kentucky Courage to claim SSD benefits through the Compassionate Allowance program, but our SSD attorneys are ready to help. Contact Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer now for a free claim review and advice about your legal options.

We have ten offices located throughout Kentucky in Lexington, Somerset, Manchester, London, North London, Hazard, Paducah, Paintsville, Prestonsburg and Princeton.

Definition of Social Security Compassionate Allowance

Some individuals who apply for Social Security Disability benefits have what the SSA refers to as “Compassionate Allowance conditions.” These conditions are typically life-threatening and in many cases, applicants do not have a long life expectancy.

If you have one of these conditions, the SSA can expedite your application process by eliminating the questions about your work history and education from your application. The SSA can determine if you have sustained a disability without the answers to these questions and so the application process can proceed much faster.

There is not a separate application for Compassionate Allowance applicants. You simply fill in the same form that you would if you did not have a Compassionate Allowance condition and submit it in the same manner. When the SSA realizes you have a Compassionate Allowance condition, they will process your application more quickly.

How Long Does a Compassionate Allowance Take?

Instead of taking months or years for your SSD benefits to be processed, under a Compassionate Allowance, it can take just weeks. Some applications are processed in as little as 10 days.

Unfortunately, no one can determine exactly how long the process will take. This is largely because the time it takes to process your application depends on several factors, including:

• How long it takes the SSA to obtain medical evidence for your doctor or another medical source
• If you are required to undergo a medical examination to support your claim
• If your claim is randomly selected to undergo a quality review after the SSA has already made its decision

Although the SSA has determined that answers to the questions regarding your education and work history are unnecessary to determine if you are disabled, you should still answer them. If the SSA receives your application and notices that it is incomplete, they may throw out your application and send you a notice stating that you have been denied benefits. In this case, you will need to appeal, which will take much longer.

How To Qualify for Compassionate Allowances

You don’t need to do anything to qualify for a Compassionate Allowance, other than having one of the conditions listed by the SSA. You do not have to send in a separate application, or even a statement. You simply must have sustained a certain disabling condition.

When the SSA receives your application and sees that your disability is one of the listed Compassionate Allowance conditions, they will flag your application. This will put it into the Compassionate Allowance process, so you can begin receiving your benefits sooner.

To substantiate your claim that your disability is one marked by the SSA as a qualifying condition, you should include as much medical evidence as you can with your application. This can include your doctor’s reports, and even a statement from your doctor further explaining your condition, your prognosis, and how it has impacted your life.

List of Compassionate Allowances

The SSA’s List of Compassionate Allowance Conditions includes over 200 diseases and medical conditions. The SSA collaborates with the National Institutes of Health and other medical experts to include more conditions each year.

These conditions are so serious that they leave little doubt that you are disabled. If your disability or medical condition is included in this list, it’s likely that your application will be processed much faster.

Some examples of the most common conditions currently on the list are:

The SSA provides a listing each year of every condition that qualifies for a Compassionate Allowance. That list can be found on SSA’s website. When you apply and state on your application that you suffer from one of these conditions, the SSA will begin processing the application as a Compassionate Allowance. You will most likely receive a decision on your claim, and the benefits you need, much faster.

Our Kentucky SSD Attorney Can Help You Apply for Compassionate Allowances

If you suffer from a condition so serious that you don’t have time to wait for the SSA’s long disability application process, you may qualify for a Compassionate Allowance. You’ll still need to apply with the SSA however, which can be challenging and, when done incorrectly, time-consuming.

At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, our Kentucky disability attorneys can help.

Our attorneys have extensive experience with helping disabled individuals apply for the benefits they need, and that includes people with conditions that qualify for SSA’s Compassionate Allowance program.

Don’t go through this process alone. Give yourself the best chance of getting the benefits you need even faster. Contact today for your free consultation to learn more about how we can help.