When you get hurt on the job and suffer a long-term disability, you may find that workers’ compensation isn’t enough. You can generally apply for Social Security Disability if you’re going to be disabled for a significant amount of time or if your disability is expected to be permanent or terminal.
There are a variety of conditions that may immediately, or very quickly, qualify for disability payments in Ohio thanks to some changes in how the Social Security Administration identifies those who need disability assistance most. According to the process known as Compassionate Allowances, there are 100 conditions that qualify for an exceptionally quick approval for Social Security Disability payments. These have been allowed since 2007, and the payments are issued much faster than if the individuals had to provide full evidence of the severity of their conditions.
Some of the conditions that qualify for a faster disability approval include illnesses or injuries that are so severe that they obviously meet disability standards. For instance, a quadriplegic is unlikely to be able to hold a job long term. Realistically, the illness or injury must be so severe that the administration doesn’t need to see the person’s work history to make sure the injury qualifies. For instance, acute leukemia or adult onset Huntington Disease are both on the list, because they can both be debilitating and terminal in some cases.
Pleural mesothelioma, which is a disease caused by exposure to asbestos over time, is also on the list along with peripheral nerve cancer, thyroid cancer, Tabes Dorsalis and many other conditions.
Source: Akron Beacon Journal, “100 conditions quickly qualify for disability benefits,” Robert Fenn, accessed June 08, 2016