The Social Security Administration (SSA) now lists prostate cancer on their compassionate allowances (CAL) condition list. For this reason, men with this diagnosis are usually eligible for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in every 9 American men develops prostate cancer during their lifetime.
How Quickly Can You Get Disability Benefits for Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer means you’ll get your SSD claim rushed through the Social Security Administration’s review process. The SSA’s CAL list helps agents quickly and easily identify conditions presumed eligible for disability benefits. Even with minimal medical information, your diagnosis alone should mean your claim automatically qualifies. In other words, you don’t have to spend valuable time and money pulling complete medical records before you apply.
What the SSA Looks At Besides Your Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Besides your prostate cancer diagnosis, what else does the SSA look for in your disability benefits application? Here are the other eligibility requirements and factors that affect your disability claim’s review and approval:
- Are you still working? If yes, we recommend you stop immediately. The SSA enforces a mandatory five-month waiting period before paying any SSD benefits. If you apply with expedited approval through the CAL program, you’ll get your first payment six months from now. But if you stopped working several months ago, you could get your first payment within 30 days!
- How old are you? If you’re 67 or older, you probably cannot qualify. Only people aged 18-66 are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
- Did your job withhold FICA taxes with every paycheck? Some people work their whole lives in jobs that don’t qualify for SSDI. Some common examples include state, local or federal government employees that receive pensions (like teachers’ unions). Others are service-industry workers who don’t pay FICA taxes or receive partial compensation in unreported cash tips, like bartenders.
- Have you worked 5 in the last 10 years full-time? If your work history’s all over the place or you’re a stay-at-home parent, you might not qualify for SSDI. However, you may qualify for another benefits program called Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Your monthly SSI payments won’t total more than $914, but every extra penny can help you!
You May Qualify for Legal Assistance
If you have difficulty standing, sitting or walking due to prostate cancer, you may qualify for SSD. Reading about applying for disability benefits online is just step one. We recommend scheduling a free legal consultation with an experienced Social Security attorney near you. A lawyer will happily answer all your questions and provide confidential legal advice that applies to your situation. It’s also the best way to ensure you file an error-free benefits claim the very first time you apply. Some qualified applicants get denied benefits for making basic errors on their claim forms! Don’t let that happen to you. An experienced lawyer will help you get paid the most SSD benefits you’re owed as quickly as possible.
Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to get your free benefits evaluation online now.
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Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.