How to Qualify for Social Security Disability with Alzheimer’s

If you have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and because of the symptoms you are suffering you can no longer work, you may qualify for disability benefits funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA has specific medical criteria that must be met for a claimant to qualify for disability benefits because of his or her medical condition. The SSA uses a medical guide, which is called the Blue Book, to determine if a claimant meets the specified criteria to be approved for disability benefits.

Medically Qualifying For Disability With Alzheimer’s

The SSA has a special program, called the Compassionate Allowances program (CAL), that allows claimants with certain disabilities to get a faster approval for benefits without having to wait several months. When the right documentation is provided, an individual with a condition on the CAL list can be approved in a few weeks. There are 88 conditions included on the CAL and one of them is Early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. You will need to provide documentation that supports your claim, and you will also need to indicate that it is a CAL claim.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common kind of dementia, being blamed for anywhere from 50% to 70% of all dementia cases in the United States. The brain is attacked, and the symptoms will worsen as the condition progresses over time. Certain kinds of nerve cells in different brain areas are destroyed, causing decline in reasoning ability, cognitive skills, verbal communications, and judgment. These lead to memory loss, disorientation, communication difficulties, difficulty making decisions, mood swings, distrust in others, depression, and personality changes.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, and it is progressive. There are medications that can temporarily improve the symptoms. To succeed with your claim, you must provide medical records, written statements from healthcare providers, and other supporting documents for your claim. Without the supporting documentation and a confirmed diagnosis by medical expert, your claim will be denied despite the condition being on the CAL list.

Applying For Disability Benefits

To start the disability claim, you will need to visit the SSA’s website. You can start your claim form there at any time. If you have a loved one who has Alzheimer’s, you have the ability to start the application process on their behalf if he or she cannot do it on their own. Once the initial application process is complete, the SSA will flag the claim as a compassionate allowance, which means it could be processed in as little as ten days. If however the application is denied, you can appeal the SSA’s decision. If you have any further questions, you can contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.

Resources:

https://www.ssa.gov/
https://www.disability-benefits-help.org/faq/compassionate-allowance-program
https://www.disability-benefits-help.org/glossary/social-security-disability-medical-sources
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0423022385
https://secure.ssa.gov/iClaim/dib