Stephanie O. Joy, Esq.
Compassionate Allowances: Cancers, Which Ones?
Some people disabled by Cancer, depending on the type of cancer, may be able to more quickly have their claim processed and determined, by virtue of Compassionate Allowances.
Note: This article is for general information only and is not legal advice to any particular reader or individual. For legal advice, you must specifically retain a lawyer.

The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Compassionate Allowances (CAL) assist it to expeditiously identify medical conditions and diseases that meet Social Security's standards for disability benefits by virtue of what they are. These conditions largely include certain cancers, as well as adult brain disorders, and several rare other disorders that affect children. The CAL goes far in reducing waiting time of a most seriously disabled claimant to reach the point of a disability determination.
As described by the SSA: "The Compassionate Allowances program identifies claims where the applicant’s disease or condition clearly meets Social Security’s statutory standard for disability. By incorporating cutting-edge technology, the agency can easily identify potential Compassionate Allowances to quickly make decisions. Social Security Administration (SSA) uses the same rules to evaluate CAL conditions when evaluating both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs."[1]
However, not call fighting Cancer have conditions within the criteria for disability nor Compassionate Allowance. The Cancers included in the CAL, to date, are*:
Acute leukemia
Adrenal cancer with distant metastases, or inoperable, unresectable, or recurrence
Adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Anaplastic adrenal cancer with distant metastases, or inoperable, unresectable, or recurrence
Bilateral retinoblastoma
Bladder cancer with distant metastases, or inoperable or unresectable
Breast cancer with distant metastases, or inoperable or unresectable
Carcinoma of unknown primary site
Chondrosarcoma with multimodal therapy
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), blast phase
Endometrial stromal sarcoma
Esophageal cancer
Ewing sarcoma
Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma, metastatic or recurrent
Gallbladder cancer
Glioblastoma multiforme (adult brain tumor)
Glioma, grades III and IV
Head and neck cancers with distant metastases, or inoperable or unresectable
Hepatoblastoma
Kidney cancer, inoperable or unresectable
Large intestine cancer with distant metastasis; or inoperable, unresectable, or recurrent
Leiomyosarcoma
Liver Cancer
Lymphomatoid granulomatosis, grade III
Malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor
Malignant germ cell tumor
Malignant melanoma, with metastases
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)
Merkel cell carcinoma, with metastases
Mucosal malignant melanoma
Non-small cell lung cancer with metastases to or beyond the hilar nodes, or inoperable, unresectable, or recurrent
Osteosarcoma, with distant metastases, or inoperable or unresectable
Ovarian cancer, with distant metastases, or inoperable or unresectable
Pancreatic cancer
Peripheral nerve cancer, metastatic or recurrent
Peritoneal mesothelioma
Peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis
Pleural mesothelioma
Primary central nervous system lymphoma
Primary effusion lymphoma
Pulmonary Kaposi sarcoma
Salivary tumors
Sinonasal cancer
Small cell cancer of the large intestine, ovary, prostate, or uterus
Small cell lung cancer
Small intestine cancer
Spinal nerve root cancer, metastatic or recurrent
Stomach cancer, with distant metastases, or inoperable, unresectable, or recurrent
Ureter Cancer, with distant metastases, or inoperable, unresectable, or recurrent
*We have endeavored to make a complete list. The SSA may change the list at any time so we cannot 100% assure it is accurate, although we believe it to be. Should you find one inadvertently not included, please be kind and share! (Email stephaniejoy@joydisability.com.) You may also check here.
If you seek attorney representation for a Disability claim, it is our privilege to provide you a no cost evaluation. For a free Attorney-Level Disability Evaluation and possible attorney representation, we welcome you to fill out the very short Free Disability Evaluation Form. Or, feel free to call 201-317-0610. There is no retainer required for representation before the SSA on your pending claim. Joy Disability prefers, although it is not required, to accept your case prior to you filing, so that we may ensure that your application and required reports after applying are most accurate and useful for your claim.
[1] https://www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/index.htm
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