For many people, the wait for Social Security Disability benefits is long — more than a year.
However, the Social Security Administration has two “fast-track” processes, Quick Disability Determinations (QDD) and Compassionate Allowances (CAL). Both “use technology to identify claimants with the most severe disabilities and allow (the SSA) to expedite our decisions on those cases while maintaining accuracy.”
The SSA notes that with the programs, “We can approve some cases in a matter of days instead of months.”
The QDD process uses a computer model to screen initial applications for cases where a favorable disability determination is highly likely and the medical evidence readily available.
Compassionate Allowances permit the SSA to identify, quickly and with “minimal objective medical information,” medical conditions and diseases that typically qualify under the program’s Listing of Impairments.
This is what the Social Security Administration says of the Compassionate Allowances: “Social Security has an obligation to provide benefits quickly to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards.”
The conditions run from A (“acute leukemia”) to Z (“Zellweger Syndrome”).
As in all cases of Social Security Disability, while it’s possible to go it alone, it’s better to have an advocate well-versed in the intricacies of the disability process in your corner. Filing a disability benefits claim can be challenging and confusing, and statistics show that the assistance of an attorney or advocate can dramatically increase the chances of obtaining benefits.
And … It always bears repeating … There should be no fee until the case is won.
