Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Written By Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
ContributorAdam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida. After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Co.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida. After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Co.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida. After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Co.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida. After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Co.
Updated: May 9, 2023, 4:55am
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If you become disabled and cannot work, you may be eligible for Social Security benefits. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to qualify for disability benefits and it can sometimes take months to get your claim approved and for your checks to start coming.
If you have a presumptive disability, however, things move much faster and it is quicker and simpler to start getting the benefits you need to support yourself. But what exactly is a presumptive disability?
This guide explains what a presumptive disability is, why it matters for your benefits claim and how to tell if your condition fits within this category.
A presumptive disability is a type of disabling condition that requires the Social Security Administration to make expedited payments under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.
SSI is one of two programs that provides financial support for disabled individuals. It is a means-tested program that you may be eligible for if your income is limited and you have less than $2,000 in countable resources as a single person or $3,000 in countable resources as a couple.
If you have a presumptive disability, the Social Security Administration starts your payments much more quickly than with a regular SSI claim. You can receive up to six months of payments as you wait for Disability Determination Services (DDS) to evaluate your full SSI application and make a final decision on benefits eligibility.
When you apply for SSI benefits, it typically takes the Social Security Administration three to four months to review your claim and to make a decision as to whether you are eligible for this source of support. The decision is made by the Disability Determination Services (DDS) in your state.
Unfortunately, during these months, you may not have the money to support yourself. The Social Security Administration’s presumptive disability program helps you in this situation. When you make an SSI claim, if the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines that you have a presumptive disability or presumptive blindness, then they begin making benefit payments right away.
These payments provide a lifeline until a decision is actually made about your case. This benefit can continue for up to six months, and if you are later found not to have a qualifying disability, you will not be asked to repay the money sent out to you.
The Social Security Administration’s decision about whether or not you have a presumptive disability is not based on your financial need but is instead based on the evidence available at the time, the likelihood your claim will be approved and the severity of your medical condition.
Presumptive disability allows SSI payments to begin immediately if you qualify, but it is not the only way to get expedited Social Security Disability benefits. You may also have a disability benefits claim approved more quickly if you have a specific condition called a Compassionate Allowances (CAL) Condition.
These are conditions that are usually severe enough to qualify you for benefits. These are ailments that are on the SSA’s Listing of Impairments and which require only minimal medical information for qualification. They include things like acute leukemia, various types of cancer with distant metastases and a number of other serious diseases and conditions. You can find a complete list of Compassionate Allowances Conditions online to see if yours is included.
If you have a CAL condition, this does not mean your benefits begin right away, unlike with a presumptive disability. Instead, it means your claim for SSI benefits or for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is likely to be approved more quickly than most are.
CAL Conditions are the same for both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), while presumptive disability benefits only help SSI applicants receive immediate payments.
There are a number of disabling conditions that could be considered Presumptive disabilities and thus entitle you to the immediate payment of SSI benefits. These include allegations of the following conditions:
There may be other severe conditions that cause SSA to presume you are found disabled and initiate payments immediately. An experienced disability benefits lawyer will help you to provide the necessary evidence to convince the Social Security Administration that you have a presumptive disability.
Applying for disability benefits can be complicated. You need to determine if you should apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or both. You may wish to prove you have a presumptive disability or a compassionate allowances condition so you can get your benefits faster.
A Social Security disability lawyer can help you throughout the process to get the money you need as quickly as possible when a disabling condition prevents you from being able to work and support yourself and your loved ones. Contact an attorney ASAP to get your disability claim started.
Presumptively disabled means you have a condition that is so severe it is likely to qualify you for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If you are found to be presumptively disabled, the Social Security Administration starts sending (SSI) benefits immediately before there is time for a full review of your claim. Payments continue for up to six months and don’t have to be repaid if you’re ultimately not found to have a qualifying disability.
Presumptive disability benefits are benefits sent by the Social Security Administration when you submit a claim for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and have one of a list of conditions. A determination of eligibility for SSI benefits based on disability can take several months. If you have a presumptive disability, the Social Security Administration pays you SSI benefits for up to six months while your claim is reviewed. If you are found ineligible for benefits, you won’t have to pay back the money you already received.
You will be found to have a presumptive disability if you have certain severe medical conditions that convince the Social Security Administration that your claim for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is likely to be approved. Examples of conditions that are considered presumptive disabilities include total deafness or blindness, leg amputation at the hip, most metastatic cancers or certain types of neurological conditions.