One of the issues many people have when applying for Social Security Disability benefits in Oklahoma is that it often takes a long time to get approval. While you may get past-due benefits once you are approved, it can be difficult to make ends meet while you are waiting. However, for some, these long waits are more than just annoying, especially if you have a condition that requires immediate treatment. In order to help people who need benefits quickly, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a program that allows those with certain conditions to speed up their application process. It is called the Compassionate Allowances program, and it can be used for both Social Security Disability benefits (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
3 Things You Need to Know About Compassionate Allowances
The idea behind Compassionate Allowances is to allow people to fast-track their application when they have conditions that are so severe that they obviously meet the requirements for disability benefits. The SSA has a published list of all the conditions that qualify, which include many forms of cancer, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease and more. If you think you have a condition that qualifies you for a Compassionate Allowance, you should know:
- There is no special application – Even if you do not know that your condition may qualify you for fast approval, the SSA will grant it anyway. You only have to apply as you normally would, and if you have a severe condition, your application will be fast-tracked.
- You will wait days for approval instead of months – Conditions like cancer move quickly, and so does the SSA. If you are granted a Compassionate Allowance, you will hear from the SSA quickly. If for any reason you don’t, your Tulsa SSI or SSDI attorney can find out why.
- Submit medical records or documentation if you can – Even though your case will be on the fast-track, the SSA still needs to verify that you have the condition you claim. Sometimes doctors can take a long time to forward the right paperwork, so if you can send it along with your application, you will ensure that you get approval as fast as possible.
One extra thing to note is that a Compassionate Allowance cannot change the federally mandated waiting periods for SSDI cases and Medicaid coverage. Even if you qualify for both, you will still have to wait five months for SSDI benefits and 24 months for Medicaid.
Keep following our SSI and SSDI lawyer blog for more inside information about the process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits.
