

{"id":211,"date":"2017-05-04T09:47:23","date_gmt":"2017-05-04T13:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/?p=211"},"modified":"2017-05-05T19:01:19","modified_gmt":"2017-05-05T23:01:19","slug":"getting-ssi-or-social-security-faster-with-stage-4-cancer-or-other-very-serious-illnesses-asking-for-a-compassionate-allowance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/2017\/05\/04\/getting-ssi-or-social-security-faster-with-stage-4-cancer-or-other-very-serious-illnesses-asking-for-a-compassionate-allowance\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting SSI or Social Security faster with stage 4 cancer or other very serious illnesses: asking for a Compassionate Allowance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><u><\/u>You can get Social Security to decide your SSI or Social Security application more quickly if you convince Social Security to process your case as a \u201cCompassionate Allowance\u201d case.\u00a0 If Social Security considers your case a Compassionate Allowance case, you do not win automatically\u2014you still must prove that you have the condition and it impairs you enough to qualify. You also do not get higher benefits.\u00a0 However, it can really help with the speed of the case and make the process much easier for you.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Having your case considered Compassionate Allowance Program means it will be fast tracked.<\/u><\/p>\n<p>This means that Social Security will take every step more quickly.\u00a0 Instead of waiting weeks for your initial appointment, you may get one in a few days.\u00a0 Instead of waiting months for them to review your medical records, they may do so in a few weeks.<\/p>\n<p><u>You qualify for Compassionate Allowance consideration if you have certain medical conditions<\/u><\/p>\n<p>The medical conditions that qualify for Compassionate Allowance consideration are very severe.\u00a0 Stage 4 cancer is often one of them.\u00a0 If you have a very severe illness, you should ask for Compassionate Allowance consideration.\u00a0 A list of 165 conditions, which includes conditions such as cancer, brain injury, immune system disorders, etc. is here:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/compassionateallowances\/conditions.htm\">https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/compassionateallowances\/conditions.htm<\/a><\/p>\n<p><u>Having a case considered as a Compassionate Allowance speeds up the case but does not mean more benefits<\/u><\/p>\n<p>A person who wins a Compassionate Allowance case has their decision faster but does not get more money.\u00a0 If the case is for Social Security, there is still a five-month waiting period from when the disability started (not from when the person applied) before Social Security sends the first check.\u00a0 If it SSI, the checks start right away.<\/p>\n<p><u>Having a Compassionate Allowance case still means the person has to meet all of the other qualifications to get Social Security or SSI.\u00a0 <\/u><\/p>\n<p>To get Social Security, a person has to have worked enough quarters to qualify for benefits.\u00a0 To get SSI, a person does not have to have worked a certain amount but has to be low income and have few assets.\u00a0 A person still must meet those rules to qualify, even if the medical condition is very bad.<\/p>\n<p><u>WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOU \u00a0HAVE A CONDITION THAT MEETS THE COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCE STANDARD<\/u><\/p>\n<p>Call Social Security to apply at 800-772-1213 or go to your local office, which can be found by zip code at <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.ssa.gov\/ICON\/main.jsp\">https:\/\/secure.ssa.gov\/ICON\/main.jsp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>TELL THE CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHONE OR IN THE LOCAL OFFICE THE MEDICAL CONDITION AND ASK THAT THE CASE BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCE PROGRAM.<\/p>\n<p>Ask for the soonest appointment you can get under the compassionate allowance program<\/p>\n<p>Get medical evidence from your doctor to confirm you have the condition and bring it to your appointment.<\/p>\n<p>There is no special application or form that is unique to the Compassionate Allowance so make sure you are told that it \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 is being processed as a Compassionate Allowance case.<\/p>\n<p>For more information on Compassionate Allowances, Social Security has its own website:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/compassionateallowances\/index.htm\">https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/compassionateallowances\/index.htm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>You may qualify for our services if you are a low income Philadelphian seeking benefits.\u00a0 Contact us to find out at 215-204-1800 or <a href=\"mailto:lawtlaw@temple.edu\">lawtlaw@temple.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>PLEASE NOTE: \u00a0This website and the posts on it are intended as information and not as legal advice on which you should rely. \u00a0You should seek help from an attorney if you are seeking legal advice about a particular problem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You can get Social Security to decide your SSI or Social Security application more quickly if you convince Social Security to process your case as<\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link-wrapper\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/2017\/05\/04\/getting-ssi-or-social-security-faster-with-stage-4-cancer-or-other-very-serious-illnesses-asking-for-a-compassionate-allowance\/\">Continue Reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Getting SSI or Social Security faster with stage 4 cancer or other very serious illnesses: asking for a Compassionate Allowance<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1215,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-know-the-law","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":88,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/2013\/07\/19\/general-assistance-for-poor-pennsylvanians-with-disabilities-not-restored-by-the-commonwealth-court\/","url_meta":{"origin":211,"position":0},"title":"General Assistance For Poor Pennsylvanians with Disabilities Not Restored By The Commonwealth Court","author":"Spencer Rand","date":"July 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"In June 2012, Pennsylvania terminated its General Assistance program for Poor Pennsylvanians suffering with disabilities. \u00a0Though this action was challenged in court, the Commonwealth Court decided in June 2013 that Pennsylvania could do so. \u00a0The minimal amount of money that these people received, $205\/mth, was not restored. \u00a0You can read\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":166,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/2015\/03\/03\/bespoke-legal-services-for-the-poor\/","url_meta":{"origin":211,"position":1},"title":"Bespoke Legal Services For The Poor","author":"Spencer Rand","date":"March 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the past few years, the value of \u201cbespoke\u201d or personalized legal services has been challenged.\u00a0 My experiences over the last few months suggest that there is a real place for these individualized services and that projects that ask people to navigate the legal system with little help from an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":221,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/2017\/05\/04\/clinic-success-stories-sometimes-it-takes-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":211,"position":2},"title":"Clinic Success Stories&#8211;Sometimes, It Takes Years!","author":"Spencer Rand","date":"May 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Our mission is to help people with their legal issues no matter what it takes. \u00a0Sometimes, it takes years! \u00a0We recently completed work we began 6 years ago to help a woman obtain SSI benefits for her disabilities.\u00a0 Despite her struggles with HIV, mental illness, and eventually with cancer, we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":140,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/2013\/09\/30\/five-temple-law-students-represent-clients-before-administrative-law-judges\/","url_meta":{"origin":211,"position":3},"title":"Five Temple Law Students Represent Clients Before Administrative Law Judges","author":"Spencer Rand","date":"September 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the past two weeks, the Temple Legal Aid Office represented six clients at hearings before Administrative Law Judges to obtain Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits.\u00a0 Three of the cases involved full hearings and in all of the cases, students wrote comprehensive letter briefs in support of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":110,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/2013\/07\/31\/summer-intern-helps-get-client-ssi-benefits-long-denied-him\/","url_meta":{"origin":211,"position":4},"title":"Summer intern helps get client SSI benefits long denied him","author":"Spencer Rand","date":"July 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Rising 2L Jeremy Giatras had a very productive summer at TLAO! \u00a0Along with working with clients at Action AIDS and Liberty Resources and preparing cases for our fall clinical interns, Jeremy did in-depth legal work representing several people seeking SSI benefits. \u00a0Among his clients, Jeremy built on the work of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":168,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/2015\/03\/05\/there-is-snow-and-yes-we-are-open\/","url_meta":{"origin":211,"position":5},"title":"There Is Snow and Yes, We Are Open!","author":"Spencer Rand","date":"March 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"My students are probably tired of hearing me talk about how lawyering was almost thirty years ago, when lawyers were lawyers and did not let snow or broken technology harness our lawyering.\u00a0 In what I am sure they consider some of their most interesting classes (or maybe not!), I have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1215"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/tlao\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}