Do you have a severe disability or terminal medical condition, or are you facing significant financial hardship because you cannot work due to a disability? You may worry that it can take several months to get approved for Social Security disability benefits. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration offers expedited processing to qualifying applications, allowing applicants to receive a decision in a fraction of the time.
Contact Disability Advocates Group today for a free initial case evaluation to learn more about expedited processing of SSD benefits applications.
What Are Expedited Disability Benefits?
In normal circumstances, it can take several months for the Social Security Administration to process and review disability benefits applications and issue a decision to an applicant. However, some applicants have personal circumstances that make it challenging for them to wait for a decision. Other applications have substantial evidence that clearly demonstrates an applicant’s eligibility for disability benefits. As a result, the Social Security Administration offers expedited processing for some disability benefits applications. The SSA’s expedited processing programs can issue decisions to applicants in a fraction of the time it takes for normal processing.
Circumstances That Qualify for Expedited Processing
The Social Security Administration offers several forms of expedited processing for disability benefits claims.
Compassionate Allowance
The Compassionate Allowance program identifies diseases and medical conditions that almost always meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of a disability, such as certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and some rare congenital or childhood disorders. The program seeks to reduce waiting times for benefits for individuals with serious disabilities.
Quick Disability Determination
The Quick Disability Determination program uses predictive computer software to screen applications to identify cases with a high probability of approval and substantial medical documentation. Identifying QDD cases early allows the Social Security Administration to prioritize those cases and expedite processing.
Terminal Illness Cases
The Social Security Administration may automatically expedite disability benefits claims based on terminal illnesses, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease) or Stage IV cancers.
Military Servicemembers and Veterans
Veterans can file an expedited claim for SSD benefits if they became disabled due to a service-connected condition after October 1, 2001. Veterans who became disabled before that date must have a 100 percent disability rating or a determination of total disability from the VA.
Dire Needs
An applicant for SSD benefits can request expedited processing by claiming a “dire need” based on their financial inability to afford necessities like food, housing, or medical care. Applicants who seek “dire need” expedited processing must provide documentation to prove their financial challenges.
How the Expedited Disability Benefits Process Works
The expedited disability benefits process differs based on the type of expedited processing an SSD benefits application receives. For Compassionate Allowance or Quick Disability Determination, the Social Security Administration’s computer system will automatically flag applications that qualify for either program. Claim evaluators may also identify applications that qualify as terminal illness or disabled veteran cases. Finally, an applicant who wishes to receive expedited processing based on dire need must submit a letter and supporting documentation to the SSA to request “dire need” processing.
Once the Social Security Administration grants expedited review, it will move an application to the front of the queue for review. Cases with substantial supporting medical documentation, particularly those involving terminal illnesses or clearly disabling medical conditions, can receive approval quickly, as they do not require in-depth consideration to determine if an applicant has a qualifying disability.
For cases that receive “dire need” expedited processing, the SSA may devote more resources to completing the review to determine whether the applicant qualifies for benefits as soon as possible.
Challenges with Expedited Claims
Some of the challenges of expedited processing include:
- Not all cases qualify for expedited processing, even when an applicant has an urgent need for disability benefits. For example, “dire need” expedited processing requires an applicant to experience severe financial distress, such as homelessness.
- Expedited processing may still result in delays for an application, especially when the application has insufficient medical documentation to establish that an applicant has a qualifying disability.
- Erroneous or missing information in the application paperwork can result in the SSA failing to flag an application as eligible for expedited review.
How an SSD Attorney Can Help
An SSD attorney can help you with an expedited disability benefits claim by:
- Reviewing your case to determine whether you may qualify for expedited processing
- Gathering all available medical evidence to help the SSA identify your application for expedited processing
- Filing a “dire need” letter to secure expedited processing when you experience severe financial hardship
- Communicating with the SSA to move your application along
FAQs About Expedited Disability Benefits
Here are some common questions people have about expedited disability benefits. Reach out to Disability Advocates Group for answers to questions of your own.
How fast can I get benefits under expedited processing?
Depending on the type of expedited processing, you may get approved for Social Security disability benefits in a few weeks or even a few days. The speed at which you may get approved for benefits under expedited processing will depend on the completeness of your documentation and the nature of your condition.
Do I still need to meet the disability definition for expedited cases?
Even when your application goes through expedited processing, you must still meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of a “disability” to qualify for benefits.
Can I request expedited processing?
Although the Social Security Administration has systems that identify applications as qualifying for most types of expedited processing, you can also request expedited processing for “dire need” by sending the SSA a letter explaining your financial need for disability benefits.
Will hiring an attorney speed up my claim?
Hiring an SSD lawyer can help move your application along, as an attorney can respond to the Social Security Administration’s requests for additional information more quickly and keep on top of the status of your claim.
Contact an SSD Attorney Today
If a medical condition has made it necessary for you to obtain Social Security disability benefits as soon as possible, expedited processing can drastically cut down the time it takes to get approved. Contact Disability Advocates Group today for a free, no-obligation consultation with an SSD lawyer to learn more about your eligibility for expedited processing of a disability benefits application.
