No matter your age, being diagnosed with an illness is difficult news to take in. The first thing running through a person’s mind is what options they have to fight this disease. The next thing one thinks about is likely how the disease and the treatment plan will impact his or her life. It is not easy to accept that an illness has taken over your life; however, individuals New Jersey and elsewhere have options to overcome the financial hardships a serious or terminal illness can have on a person.

In order to obtain Social Security disability benefits, one must meet the definition of the listed condition. However, when it comes to serious and terminal conditions, a mechanism was put in place to quickly identify and approve these applicants. The compassionate allowance list contains a list of diseases and other medical conditions that clearly meet the SSA’s standard for and definition of disability.

The biggest benefit of the compassionate allowance program is its ability to easily identify condition, quickly making a decision. Individuals living with these conditions likely do not have much time. Waiting for approval or entering the appeals process means that they are spending their remaining days attempting to get SSD benefits.

By reducing the wait time for those living with the most serious disabilities, individuals are able to timely obtain the benefits they need to meet their basic needs. Additionally, they are not spending this time getting documents together to prove disability.

Whether a person is suffering from a serious, terminal illness or other disability, it is important to understand what rights are afforded and what steps need to be taken. This ensures that those eligible for SSD benefits obtain them in a timely manner.