13 New Conditions Added to Fast Track Disability List
It’s no secret that the Social Security disability application and approval process can take a very long time. That leaves many applicants in a tough position, as they may have no income while they wait for Social Security disability benefits to be approved or fight their way through the appeals process.
For some disability applicants, there is a lifeline available. The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains a Compassional Allowances List (CAL). The Compassionate Allowances program is designed to expedite benefits approval for those with the most serious disabilities. The program was rolled out in 2008 with a list of 50 conditions. That list has been updated multiple times since. The addition of 13 new conditions in 2025 brings the total number of conditions that may qualify for expedited determinations to 300.
New Conditions for the Social Security Disability Compassionate Allowances List
The most recent disability benefits update added 13 new conditions to the CAL. The conditions added to the Compassionate Allowances List in August of 2025 are:
- Au-Kline Syndrome
- Bilateral Anophthalmia
- Carey-Fineman-Ziter Syndrome
- Harlequin Ichthyosis – Child
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
- LMNA-related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
- Progressive Muscular Atrophy
- Pulmonary Amyloidosis – AL Type
- Rasmussen Encephalitis
- Thymic Carcinoma
- Turnpenny-Fry Syndrome
- WHO Grade III Meningiomas
- Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim Syndrome
You can find the full list of 300 conditions that may qualify a Social Security disability applicant for expedited processing under the Compassionate Allowances program on the Social Security website.
How Does the Compassionate Allowances Program Work?
The term “compassionate allowances” can be a bit misleading. The Compassionate Allowances program doesn’t provide any additional benefits for a qualifying applicant, and it doesn’t allow someone who might otherwise not be eligible to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Instead, the process is designed to allow the SSA to quickly identify applicants with certain very serious or terminal medical conditions and bump them to the front of the line for processing.
How Do I Get Considered for Expedited Processing?
There are multiple ways to qualify for expedited processing for Social Security disability. If you are eligible for expedited processing under the Compassionate Allowances program, you shouldn’t have to do anything to request expedited processing. The system aims to identify your potential qualification and speed up processing on its own. However, neither the technology used to flag CAL applications nor the humans reviewing them are perfect.
An experienced Social Security disability benefits advocate can help ensure that you are considered under the Compassionate Allowance program if you qualify. For example, your advocate can explain exactly what language and level of detail is necessary to allow the SSA’s technology to identify your application as one that may qualify for quicker processing.
Your disability benefits advocate can also help you determine whether you may qualify for expedited processing for another reason. For example, you may be entitled to quicker processing if:
- You have a terminal illness
- You can establish that you are in dire financial need
- Your disability began during military services or you have Wounded Warrior status
You Must Still Prove Eligibility for Social Security Disability
It’s important to understand that the fast track process for applicants with listed conditions doesn’t change the criteria for Social Security disability. Though your application can be slated for quicker processing, it will still be up to you and your advocate to show that you meet the SSA’s criteria for disability by providing appropriate medical records and other evidence. You must also meet technical requirements such as having accumulated sufficient work credits across your career and in the 10 years leading up to your disability.
Does the CAL Apply to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Applicants?
The SSA uses the Compassionate Allowances List for SSI applications in the same way it does for Social Security disability applications. An SSI applicant may qualify for expedited processing if they have been diagnosed with one of the 300 conditions on the CAL.
An SSI applicant may also qualify for expedited processing in other ways. For example, an applicant with certain severe medical conditions may presumptively qualify.
How Much Faster is the Expedited Process?
How quickly the expedited process moves forward depends on a variety of factors, including the office processing your claim, whether your application is promptly identified as qualified for quick processing, how quickly your medical records arrive and how thorough your evidence is. In some cases, you may receive a determination in a matter of days. More often, the determination may take a few weeks or a month. In some cases, it may take a few months.
There is one catch, though–no matter how quickly your application may be reviewed and approved, the five-month waiting period for Social Security disability benefits still applies. This usually isn’t an issue for disability applicants because that time has passed or nearly passed by the time they receive a determination. When processing is expedited, that may not be the case.
How Does the Five-Month Waiting Period Work?
A Social Security disability benefits applicant will not receive benefits for the first five months after they become disabled. Note, though, that the SSA will count that five months starting from the date they determine that you became disabled–even if you hadn’t yet applied for benefits.
For example, if you became disabled with a condition on the CAL in January and then didn’t apply for benefits until June and got approved in July, you would be eligible to start collecting benefits right away. On the other hand, if you became disabled in January, applied in February and were approved in March, you would have to finish out the five-month waiting period before you started collecting benefits.
Talk to a Disability Benefits Advocate
When you’re applying for Social Security disability, you’ll want to take advantage of every opportunity to move your application forward quickly and to improve your chances of a quick approval. An experienced disability benefits advocate can guide you through the process and ensure that you are providing the information the SSA will be looking for in the format and language that will be easiest for them to identify and work with.
Call Disability Help Group today at 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form to learn more.
