While most people think of older and elderly people when they hear the word “dementia,” younger adults can also suffer from dementia-related conditions. Even Alzheimer’s disease has an “early onset” variation that can strike people as young as their 40s. There are a number of other conditions where one of the symptoms is dementia.
When someone who is far from retirement age suffers from dementia, it can put an end to their career – and possibly their working years altogether. For them and their families, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can be a critical financial resource.
If a loved one needs to apply for SSDI because they’ve been diagnosed with dementia, time is likely of the essence. Often, it takes some time to correctly diagnose dementia in someone who’s not in the usual age range for it. That means they may have already lost their job or become unable to work because of their symptoms. If they hadn’t been planning to retire soon, they may not have a lot of savings. Other medical care may have taken a big bite out of what they had – even with insurance.
How can the Compassionate Allowances (CAL) initiative help?
The Social Security Administration (SSA), which provides SSDI, has a program called the CAL initiative that expedites the approval of claims for those who have irreversible conditions that prevent them from working. The CAL initiative covers those who are suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related conditions. These include:
- Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
- Lewy body dementia
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
- Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)
- Primary progressive aphasia (PPA)
- Adult-onset Huntington disease
New conditions are being added to the CAL initiative all the time.
When it comes to federal agencies, “expedite” is a relative term. You can’t expect a claim to just cruise to approval. Medical and other documentation providing evidence of the condition, the prognosis and how it affects the applicant’s ability to work is required.
Even if you provide the necessary documentation, simple mistakes like overlooking a question or missing a signature can cause unnecessary delays in receiving approval and benefits. With something this critical to your financial well-being, it can be more than worthwhile to have experienced legal guidance. This can help you resolve any issues if the claim has already been denied. By having this guidance from the beginning, you can prevent a time-consuming denial.