The Social Security Administration is notoriously difficult when it comes to approving disability benefits. Most applicants will receive a denial when they apply for the first time.
Often this is because they fail to prove they have a qualifying disability. However, if you can qualify for compassionate allowance, you can bypass this common hurdle.
Definition
A compassionate allowance is a condition the SSA knows qualifies. If you qualify for one, then it means you will not have to go through a long process to determine if you qualify for benefits. Having a compassionate allowance is comparable to an automatic qualification.
Identification
When you first apply for benefits, the compassionate allowance program will review to see if your condition qualifies. This process is usually very fast. If you qualify, it moves your application along quickly.
Qualifying conditions
In general, the conditions that qualify for compassionate allowance are those that universally cause a person to be unable to work for at least one year. They are conditions that tend to impact people in the same way without degrees of illness. The SSA will use information collected through disability applications, health professional opinions and other data it collects to determine the qualifying conditions.
Rules
Most people will not qualify for compassionate allowance because the conditions in the program have strict limits. The program runs similarly to the overall disability program. The condition must be severe and debilitating. You must offer proper medical evidence that you have the qualifying condition. If you do qualify for compassionate allowance, it can help you to get access to benefits faster than if you had to go through the whole Social Security Disability process.
