The Social Security Administration has added 13 new diseases and conditions to its list of disabilities, which earn those suffering serious medical issues a faster benefits application process.
Those applying for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income who have conditions on the Compassionate Allowances list, or CAL, have their applications processed more quickly, the agency says. Since the program started in 2008, more than 1.1 million people with severe disabilities have been approved via the expedited process, the SSA said in a news release dated Aug. 11.
“We are constantly looking for ways to improve our disability programs and serve the public more effectively,” said SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano in the news release. “This is part of our broader commitment to making the disability determination process as responsive and compassionate as possible.”
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Social Security Administration’s list of conditions for expedited benefits applications
The addition of the 13 conditions brings the Compassionate Allowances list to 300 serious diseases and conditions that warrant an expedited benefits process. Here are the new conditions added:
Au-Kline Syndrome
Bilateral Anophthalmia
Carey-Fineman-Ziter Syndrome
Harlequin Ichthyosis – Child
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
LMNA-related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
Progressive Muscular Atrophy
Pulmonary Amyloidosis – AL Type
Rasmussen Encephalitis
Thymic Carcinoma
Turnpenny-Fry Syndrome
WHO Grade III Meningiomas
Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim Syndrome
“By adding these 13 conditions to the Compassionate Allowances list, we are helping more people with devastating diagnoses to quickly receive the support they need,” Bisignano said.
Who can apply for Social Security disability benefits?
People who have been unable to work for a year (12 consecutive months) or more because of a disability can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance, the SSA says. Those whose disabilities are on the Compassionate Allowances list, will have their applications processed more quickly. Typically, SSDI applicants have a 5-month waiting period before payments begin in the sixth month after the agency approved an applicant’s disability.
Supplemental Security Income provides benefits for those with limited income or resources, those aged 65 or older and those who are blind or have a qualifying disability. Children with a qualifying disability can also get SSI, according to the agency’s website. Applicants typically wait six to eight months for an initial decision after submitting their application, federal officials says.
During the process of determining whether to approve benefits, the SSA must get applicants’ medical records. In the case of CAL applicants, the agency will attempt to use technological means including electronic medical records to more quickly process the claim.
“The CAL initiative acts as a fast-track to those benefits for individuals who need them most,” reported financial news site Investopedia.
But the expanse of the list runs counter to some other moves the Trump adminstration has made in regards to Social Security, said Jessica Mason, senior policy analyst for economic justice for National Partnership for Women & Families.
“Changes that help ease disabled people’s access to their benefits can be beneficial. But in the bigger picture, this administration is laying off Social Security staff and just signed a budget law that goes after Medicaid and food assistance that disabled people rely on,” Mason said in a statement to USA TODAY. “In that context, tweaking the Compassionate Allowances list is a bit like rearranging deck chairs while setting the ship on fire. For disabled people and all of us to thrive, we need Social Security to have not only better processes but real investments in staffing and infrastructure, and to be paired with a stronger safety net across the board.”
This story has been updated with new information.
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X, and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Social Security compassionate allowances: Agency expands list
