Social Security Disability: Compassionate Allowances Have Become More Compassionate
Submitted by: I-Newswire
2011-08-19 02:12:41
Los Angeles (OPENPRESS) August 18, 2011 - The Social Security Administration announced on July 14, 2011 that they would be adding 12 additional conditions to their list of Compassionate Allowances for those who are applying for disability benefits, bringing the total number of Compassionate Allowance conditions to 100.
Compassionate Allowances are serious illnesses that Social Security is able to quickly and easily identify and therefore speed up the decision making process significantly. The disability process regularly takes 4-6 months to have a finding made on a claim, whereas an applicant with a Compassionate Allowance disease can have a decision made in under a month as much less medical evidence is required to process the claim. Usually, Social Security must evaluate a claimant's past work history to determine if their conditions are severe enough to keep them from going back to their previous job or any job that exists in the national economy. However, Compassionate Allowances are usually so severe that it is clear a claimant cannot do any type of work due to their disability.
Social Security's new Compassionate Allowances include heart conditions, such as Heart Transplant Graft Failure, Heart Transplant Wait List, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and Mitral Valve Atresia, among others. The most recognized Compassionate Allowances are various types of cancer, Acute Leukemia, and Alzheimer's disease. Many diseases that affect infants and children are also on the list.
According to Michael J. Astrue, the Social Security Commissioner, "We have an obligation to award benefits quickly to people whose medical conditions are so serious they clearly meet our disability standards. We are now able to do precisely that for 100 severe conditions." As heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, many claimants suffering from this will be able to receive their benefits much more quickly.
Disability Group Inc was founded on the principles of dignity and respect. We are a national law firm focused exclusively on helping people receive the Social Security Disability benefits they deserve. For more information about Social Security, or to see if you qualify for benefits, visit us at www.socialsecuritylaw.com.
