What Conditions Necessitate A Fast-Track Decision For Benefits

In Ohio, there are thousands of people who suffer from disorders or illnesses that prevent them from working or making a living wage. For those people, Social Security disability benefits are available, but the process is often cumbersome and time-consuming. When you are unable to work to obtain an income, you need help quickly. According to AARP, there are certain conditions and illnesses that allow you to fast-track the decision on your benefits to get help sooner.

The Social Security program has a list of conditions that are known as compassionate allowances. Currently there are close to 240 conditions on this list. If you have one of those illnesses, you may be able to cut months off the process of applying for benefits, although payments may still be delayed depending on your situation. Included on this list are immune system diseases, fast moving cancers, neurodegenerative disorders and any illness that prevents a worker from getting a job and is likely to end in death.

There is no special application process for those special allowance illnesses. The administration uses software to identify impairments on applications. Your diagnosis and the severity of it may affect how quickly the decision is made.

Even if your application is fast-tracked through the system, you cannot receive benefits until five months after the date that your disability began, and this day must be verified by Social Security. If you have an illness or condition that is not included on the compassionate allowances list, you can still ask Social Security to fast track your application and consider the condition for inclusion on the list. Because the process is lengthy and requires no mistakes, it is often beneficial to solicit the help of an attorney to process your application.