Lauren’s Legal Insights

          The process of applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability (SSD) can be arduous.  Lawyers who are authorized representatives with Social Security can help collect your records necessary to present a strong argument on appeal.  And you should not be surprised if you are denied and want to appeal.  Many – if not most – applicants are denied after their initial application, and it can take approximately a year and a half to receive a hearing date after an appeal.  Backlog is an unfortunate reality of the current social security process.

However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) does recognize this problematic backlog, and has taken steps to significantly reduce the waiting time for individuals diagnosed with conditions or illnesses that clearly meet the SSA’s definition of “disability.”  The SSA has a list of “Compassionate Allowances.”  Individuals suffering from conditions or illnesses on this list experience a reduced waiting time.  According to the SSA website, the Compassionate Allowances program identifies claims that will clearly be granted, and “[b]y incorporating cutting-edge technology, the agency can easily identify potential Compassionate Allowances to quickly make decisions.”  Conditions on this list include certain cancers, Huntington’s Disease, ALS, some types of muscular dystrophy, and more.  (For a complete list, visit: https://www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/conditions.htm.)

On Tuesday, September 5, 2017, the Social Security Administration announced that it is expanding its list of “Compassionate Allowances.”  CACH (Vanishing White Matter Disease, Infantile and Childhood Onset Forms), Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy, and Kleefstra Syndrome have been added to the list of Compassionate Allowances conditions.  (For more information, or to view the press release, visit: https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/releases/#/post/9-2017-1.)

What this means for you:  If you have been diagnosed with a condition on the Compassionate Allowances list, you can qualify for an expedited review of your SSI and/or SSD application.  The conditions and diseases on this list are ones that clearly meet the agency’s definition of disability, so you will be able to receive your benefits quickly and avoid the lengthy application and appeal process.

At Pyfer Reese, Attorneys Gabriella H. Farhat and Lauren Martin are authorized representatives with the Social Security Administration.  If you have questions about your social security disability benefits, we can help you. Make Pyfer Reese your choice – visit www.pyferreese.com or call 717.299.7342 to set up a free consultation.

We are Lawyers Who Lead.