Social Security Disability Benefits for Cancer in Chicago, IL
Winning disability benefits if you have cancer means going through the same steps of other illnesses. The Social Security Administration (SSA) includes cancer on its list of disabilities. If you have cancer and can’t work, you may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
But winning SSD benefits when you have cancer, isn’t easy. You must prove that your cancer prevents you from working for at least one year. Depending on the type of cancer you have, you may experience shorter or longer approval times.
For example, severe cancers like metastatic brain or spinal cord carcinoma, small cell cancer of the lungs, cancer of the gall bladder, liver, pancreas or bile ducts, may mean you get immediate approval for disability.
Types of Cancer that Qualify for Disability Benefits
There’s a long list of cancers on the SSA’s official listing of impairments. So the short answer is that any cancer that is expected to keep you from working for at least one full year (or result in death) may qualify.
However, the most common cancer cases that qualify for disability benefits, include ones that require hospital admissions and discharges, doctor’s notes and reports of blood work and any imaging tests (MRI, xrays, CT scans, etc.).
No Matter Which Cancer You Have, You Need Medical Evidence
To prove your cancer qualifies you for Social Security Disability benefits, you must have medical evidence showing it will prevent you from working for at least one year. For many forms of cancer, a doctor must determine that it’s inoperable or that it can’t be controlled with treatment, in order for you to qualify.
The SSA will look at all of your medical evidence to examine the seriousness of your cancer and how it impacts your life and your ability to work. But, if they don’t get it right on the first glance, you always have the option to appeal your case to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
What to do if the SSA Denies Your Claim for Benefits if You Have Cancer
Most people who apply for disability benefits are denied on the first try so just know it’s not uncommon to receive a denial letter. If you have cancer and were denied disability benefits, you can appeal. To help prove your cancer claim to the SSA, you should consider working with Social Security disability lawyer.
At Nash Disability Law, we’re Chicago-area disability attorneys who help people with cancer get the disability benefits they need. If you were denied, call our office right away. We’ll take a look at all your medical evidence and work history to help prove your case to the SSA.
Cancer is a life-changing illness that affects millions of Americans. If you were recently diagnosed with cancer and think you may have to stop working for an extended period of time, call us at 312-248-0247 to get started with a free evaluation of your claim.
