The Compassionate Allowances Program For Disability Applicants

Compassionate Allowance, a provision in the Social Security Act, provides a means through which eligible applicants may have their social security disability insurance applications processed in as little as ten days. The agency has a list of 200 qualifying conditions that are considered to be severe enough that they automatically qualify for disability. People who have medical documentation proving that they suffer from one of the compassionate allowances conditions may receive the expedited processing. While a person with a compassionate allowance condition may have their applications processed more quickly, they must still meet the requirements for medical evidence in order to be approved for SSDI benefits.

Social Security Claims in Chicago For Compassionate Allowance Conditions

When SSDI applicants suffer from one of the conditions that the Social Security Administration has listed for its Compassionate Allowance program, they do not have any added paperwork requirements and use the same application materials that others use. The agency is supposed to automatically flag applications for people who have one of the listed conditions. The flagging does not mean that the person will automatically be approved, however. People must supply the medical evidence that is required by the agency in order to be approved. Their applications will be processed much faster, meaning that they will receive their decisions much faster than if they didn’t have one of the listed conditions.

Required Medical Evidence

The Social Security Administration requires medical evidence that shows the degree of impairment and the severity of the illness. This evidence must come from acceptable medical sources, which include doctors, speech-language pathologists, licensed psychologists, optometrists and podiatrists. These sources must provide documentation showing the existence of the impairing condition. Once the impairment has been established, the applicant must also submit evidence indicating its severity.

The medical evidence can come from their treating physicians, health facilities, medical reports and other sources. If the sources are not adequate, then the applicants may submit to consultative examinations to prove the severity of their conditions. People should also submit evidence showing how their conditions limit their daily activities and the effects of their symptoms, including information about the frequency and severity of their occurrence.

People who file social security claims in Chicago when they have qualifying conditions under the Compassionate Allowance program should receive their decisions within weeks of applying. Social security disability lawyers might help people who are denied with gathering the needed documentation to support their appeals of the decisions.