Major Social Security change fast-tracks disability benefits for some people
A change by the Social Security Administration will speed up the process of receiving disability benefits for some people.
On Tuesday, the agency added 14 medical conditions to its Compassionate Allowance List. The agency uses the list to speed up the benefits process for people with serious medical conditions.
“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,” Social Security said in a statement, adding the program “is designed to cut through red tape for individuals who need help fast.”
Since the program began in 2008, more than 1.2 million people have been approved through the accelerated disability process.
The 14 conditions added to the list include:
- Adenylosuccinate Lyase Deficiency – Neonatal Form and Type 1
- Aicardi Syndrome
- Baraitser-Winter Syndrome
- Beare-Stevenson Cutis Gyrata Syndrome
- Bohring-Opitz Syndrome
- CASK-Related Gene Disorders
- Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma
- Lafora Disease
- Malignant Migrating Partial Seizures of Infancy (MMPSI)
- OPHN1 Syndrome
- Primary Cardiac Sarcoma
- Primary Intracranial Malignant Melanoma
- Uveal Melanoma – with Metastases
- Warburg Micro Syndrome
With the additions, there are now 314 conditions on the list.
How does the CAL program work?
When you apply for disability benefits, Social Security reviews your medical records to see if you qualify. If your condition is on the CAL, the application is flagged, allowing it to bypass the traditional lengthy review.
A typical disability application can take between six to eight months for approval.
You can see a full list of CAL conditions here.