Social Security benefits are a lifeline for millions of Americans. These benefits keep many people out of poverty, including the elderly and the disabled, who count on various Social Security programs to help them make ends meet when they have retired or when they are unable to work as a result of a serious medical condition.
While Social Security is a very important program, it can also be a complicated one. There are strict eligibility rules for certain benefit programs, and there are a lot of complex issues to address about when exactly benefits can and should be claimed. It’s very important for potential beneficiaries to be aware of these rules.
💵💰Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter 💰💵
It’s also worth noting that the rules can sometimes change over time. For example, one change that has been happening is that the full retirement age has been shifting later for retirees, as it used to be 65 for everyone but has gradually been moving back to age 67.
That change was put in place many years ago to shore up the finances of the Social Security benefits program.
Now, new changes to Social Security eligibility rules will take effect.
The modifications are good news because they can make it easier for a very vulnerable group of individuals to gain access to earned benefits they have worked for throughout their careers and that they may desperately need.
Here’s what the changes are, along with details on who may be impacted and what they mean for beneficiaries.
Image source: Shutterstock
Social Security makes a big change to help certain groups access benefits
The changes that Social Security recently revealed affect eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits.
This includes people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), as well as people applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on the basis of disability.
Social Security has made it easier for key groups to gain access to these benefits because it has added 13 new conditions to the Compassionate Allowances List (CAL).
Related: Social Security’s 2026 COLA will be good news for older Americans
The Compassionate Allowances List aims to make it simpler for people with serious medical conditions to gain quick access to disability benefits. It normally takes a long time to get a disability claim approved, and the process can require multiple appeals and submission of extensive documentation.
For conditions on the Compassionate Allowances List, however, applications are processed much more quickly, fast-tracking benefits to those who need them most.
The Social Security Administration also aims to use the Health IT Program to allow for the automatic receipt of medical records so that adjudicators can decide even faster whether to approve a claim.
These conditions were added to Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances List
The Social Security Administration listed the 13 new conditions being added to the CAL. These include:
- 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
As SSA’s statement said, “With the inclusion of these 13 conditions, the CAL list now includes 300 conditions in total. Since the CAL initiative began, over 1.1 million people with severe disabilities have been approved through this accelerated disability process that is fully policy-compliant.”
More on retirement:
- Dave Ramsey offers urgent thoughts about Medicare
- Jean Chatzky shares major statement on Social Security
- Tony Robbins has blunt words on IRAs,401(k)s
The goal of this change was to make life easier for those who are severely ill so they don’t spend their time fighting for benefits – and it should hopefully have a positive impact on people’s lives.
“We are constantly looking for ways to improve our disability programs and serve the public more effectively,” said SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano. “By adding these 13 conditions to the Compassionate Allowances list, we are helping more people with devastating diagnoses to quickly receive the support they need. This is part of our broader commitment to making the disability determination process as responsive and compassionate as possible.”
Related: Warren Buffett’s blunt Social Security warning is becoming reality
