Social Security Disability Compassionate Allowance

Compassionate allowance is a expedited process to get Social Security disability or SSI for individuals with certain specific medical conditions. SSA now has a list of 200 medical conditions that are considered severe enough to meet the definition of disability under the Social Security program. Individuals suffering from one of these medical conditions is entitled to a much faster decision. A decision under the compassionate allowance can come in a matter of weeks instead of the normal months or years it can take in a normal SSDI or SSI claim. It appears that the compassionate allowance program has been very successful in ensuring that those with very severe medical conditions get a decision as quickly as possible.
Compassionate allowance should not be confused with the Social Security disability medical listing of impairments. If you do not have a medical condition on the compassionate allowance list you can still be found disabled under the medical listing of impairments or if your medical condition's functional limitations can be shown to prevent you from working, however, it would not be entitled to the quicker decision under the compassionate allowance initiative.