Social Security Disability Claims for Cancer
When you are too sick to work because you have cancer, you are most likely eligible for Social Security disability benefits, although benefits are not guaranteed. Social Security disability claims based on certain forms of cancer, which are identified in the Disability Evaluation Under Social Security, also known as the Social Security’s Blue Book, are eligible if the symptoms or results of treating the cancer are so severe that they prevent the cancer patient from performing substantial, gainful work.
In order for an individual with a cancer diagnosis to be eligible for Social Security disability benefits, the cancer:
- Has to be inoperable
- Has to have spread considerably through the body
- Has to be recurring after treatment or surgical removal
Cancers that are operable or manageable with treatment may not be eligible for Social Security disability benefits if the claimant can still work. Similarly, even if you are awarded Social Security disability benefits based on your cancer, benefits may cease if your cancer goes into remission.
What Type of Medical Evidence is Necessary?
When making a Social Security disability claim based on a cancer diagnosis, applicants must provide sufficient medical evidence that cancer exists and is a disability. This can be done by providing documentary evidence of the cancer diagnosis to the Social Security Administration, in addition to any test results, lab work, operative reports of biopsied samples of the cancerous tissue, and doctors’ reports concerning cancer.
The Social Security Administration will consider the type of cancer and its severity, in conjunction with the type of treatment that is being received for cancer, its duration, and its frequency, in an attempt to determine whether the cancer is responsive to treatment. If the cancer is responsive to treatment, Social Security benefits will likely be denied.
Disability Claims Based on Certain Cancers Get Expedited Processing
In special cases of serious, progressive cancers, disability claimants can receive expedited processing of their disability application by the Social Security Administration. Cancers that are included in the Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances list are eligible for expedited processing, and there are about 25 types of cancers on the list.
Disability claimants with these types of cancers receive expedited treatment because a diagnosis of one of the Compassionate Allowances cancers is considered enough medical evidence to award a disability claim.
Work With an Arizona Disability Lawyer
A cancer diagnosis is tragic for you and your family, and you shouldn’t have to struggle through the Social Security disability process alone. Contact one of the Social Security disability benefits attorneys at Snow, Carpio & Weekley, PLC for assistance with your cancer diagnosis-based disability claim today.
We have helped numerous clients with cancer successfully obtain the Social Security disability benefits they need and we can help you too. Reach out to us today by calling 855-325-4781 to schedule a free initial consultation in Glendale.
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