Skip to main content
U.S. flag An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

...
What to Know about Proving Your Identity
Social Security
X
Benefits
BY PHASE
  • Prepare
  • Apply
  • Manage benefits
BY TYPE
  • Retirement
  • Disability
  • Survivor
  • Family
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Benefits overview
Medicare
  • Plan for Medicare
  • Sign up for Medicare
  • Request to lower IRMAA
  • Apply for Part D Extra Help
  • Manage Medicare benefits
Card & record
  • Number & card
  • Personal record
Español
Sign in
Menu

Press Office (Subscribe)

Menu

  • Contact the Press Office
  • Press Releases
  • Reports, Facts and Figures
  • Social Security Update
  • Follow us @SSAPress
  • COLA

Press Release  (En español)

Monday, August 14, 2023
For Immediate Release
Mark Hinkle, Press Officer
press.office@ssa.gov
News Release SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security Administration Expedites Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities
Agency Adds to its Compassionate Allowances List

Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, today announced 12 new Compassionate Allowances conditions: 1p36 Deletion Syndrome, Anaplastic Ependymoma, Calciphylaxis, Cholangiocarcinoma, FOXG1 Syndrome, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Metastatic Endometrial Adenocarcinoma, Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration, Pineoblastoma - Childhood, Primary Omental Cancer, Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Lung - Stages II-IV, and Trisomy 9.

The Compassionate Allowances program quickly identifies claims where the applicant's medical condition or disease clearly meets Social Security's statutory standard for disability. Due to the severe nature of many of these conditions, these claims are often allowed based on medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone. To date, nearly 900,000 people with severe disabilities have been approved through this accelerated, policy-compliant disability process, which now includes a total of 278 conditions.

"The Social Security Administration remains committed to reducing barriers and ensuring people who are eligible for benefits receive them," said Acting Commissioner Kijakazi. "Our Compassionate Allowances program allows us to reinforce that commitment by expediting the disability application process for people with the most severe disabilities."

When a person applies for disability benefits, Social Security must obtain medical records in order to make an accurate determination. The agency incorporates leading technology to identify potential Compassionate Allowances cases and make quick decisions. Social Security's Health IT brings the speed and efficiency of electronic medical records to the disability determination process. With electronic records transmission, Social Security can quickly obtain a claimant's medical information, review it, and make a faster determination.

For more information about the program, including a list of all Compassionate Allowances conditions, please visit www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances.

To learn more about Social Security's Health IT program, please visit www.ssa.gov/hit.

People may apply online for disability benefits by visiting www.ssa.gov.

To create a my Social Security account, please visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

To get more Social Security news, follow the Press Office on Twitter @SSAPress.

Support
  • Contact us
  • Find an office
  • Forms
  • Publications
  • Report fraud
Languages
  • Español
  • Other languages
  • Plain language
Services for
  • Employers & businesses
  • Representatives
  • Government agencies
  • Other groups
About
  • About SSA
  • Communications
  • Careers
  • Initiatives
  • Research & policy
  • Financial reports
Agency logo

SSA.gov

An official website of the Social Security Administration.


  • Accessibility support
  • Privacy policy
  • FOIA requests
  • Civil Rights/Compliance
  • Office of the Inspector General
  • Office of the Chief Actuary
  • Performance reports
  • System status
Looking for U.S. government information and services? Visit USA.gov