A cancer diagnosis can be devastating for Pennsylvania families. If you have cancer, you may decide for Social Security disability benefits to help with expenses. At Steppacher Law Offices LLC, we help clients navigate the complex disability claims process.
The Cancer Support Community reports that your eligibility for SSD depends on the form and stage of cancer. While some individuals qualify for benefits with a cancer diagnosis, the Social Security Administration may require proof provided in the form of physicians’ notes or biopsy reports. The SSA uses a medical guide called the Blue Book, available online, to determine eligibility. Hard to treat or aggressive forms of cancer may automatically qualify you for disability benefits, such as the following:
- Pancreatic and liver
- Brain
- Esophageal
- Thyroid
- Inflammatory breast
- Any small-cell form
Some non-small-cell forms of the disease may need to be deemed inoperable for you to qualify for benefits. In other cases, cancer must have returned after 90 days’ treatment or spread to another organ before you can be eligible for SSD.
Claim approval is possible without meeting Blue Book requirements. Under the Medical Vocational Allowance, you’re eligible if you cannot work during an illness that is expected to last at least a year. Work history, age and the limiting factors of your unique form of cancer determines qualification. Adults over the age of 50 may receive approval easier, as the SSA considers the likelihood of them retaining another job more difficult.
The extended list of requirements, forms and deadlines required for filing SSD claims can be time-consuming and complicated. Visit our webpage for more information on this topic.
