In August 2025, the Social Security Administration expanded the Compassionate Allowances list again, adding 13 new medical conditions to expedite decisions on Social Security disability benefits.
With this expansion, the Compassionate Allowances program now includes 300 medical conditions, allowing certain Social Security disability claims to be processed significantly faster.
As of the August 2025 expansion, the Social Security Administration estimates that over 1.1 million disability claims have been expedited through the Compassionate Allowances program since its inception in 2008.
This expansion is part of the Social Security Administration’s continued effort to identify severe medical conditions that clearly prove a claimant’s inability to work. The Compassionate Allowances List is continually under revision in response to public feedback.
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Social Security Added 13 Conditions to Compassionate Allowances List in August 2025
The Social Security Administration’s press office announced on August 11, 2025 that the Compassionate Allowances list includes 13 new medical conditions.
The newly added CAL medical conditions 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
The Social Security Administration requires medical records to make an accurate determination for qualification for Compassionate Allowances.
SSA Previously Expanded Compassionate Allowances in 2024
The Social Security Administration added nine new conditions and two revisions to the Compassionate Allowances list in 2024.
The nine added allowances are:
- Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome
- Costello Syndrome
- Adult Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1-4
- Histiocytic Malignancies
- Neonatal Marfan Syndrome
- PACS1 Syndrome
- Plasmablastic Lymphoma
- Renal Medullary Carcinoma
- Snijders Blok-Campeau Syndrome
The two existing conditions were revised:
- Child Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1A/1B
- Histiocytosis Syndromes
This earlier expansion laid the groundwork for the 2025 update and demonstrates an ongoing pattern of expanding eligibility for expedited disability determinations.
What are Compassionate Allowances?
The Compassionate Allowances program allows for rapid disability determinations for claimants with severe medical conditions. In many cases, the program allows a disability claim to forward on medical confirmation of the condition alone.
While the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income have different eligibility criteria overall, both programs undergo the same process for a Compassionate Allowances evaluation of a medical condition.
Claimants in an ordinary process of a disability claim would have their ability to perform work evaluated separately from their medical condition. However, as the disabilities included in the Compassionate Allowances program are very severe, the Social Security Administration treats medical confirmation of the condition alone as sufficient evidence of a claimant’s inability to work.
To understand why Compassionate Allowances can significantly shorten the disability approval process, it helps to understand how Social Security disability claims typically work.
How do Social Security disability claims typically work?
Social Security disability claims typically go through more than one level of evaluation before reaching a decision on your claim. Once a disability is diagnosed or confirmed, the Social Security Administration evaluates a claimant’s ability to work based on work history, ability to perform specific work duties, and ability to transition to another line of work.
A claimant’s ability to perform other jobs is partially based on occupations listed in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, as well as Selected Characteristics of Occupations Defined by the Revised Dictionary of Occupational Titles (SCO). In recent years, obsolete jobs have been removed from the list of DOT occupations to support more accurate evaluations of a claimant’s ability to perform available work.
Below are answers to some of the most common questions applicants have about how Compassionate Allowances work in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Compassionate Allowances
The following frequently asked questions address common concerns about the Social Security Compassionate Allowances program, including eligibility, application procedures, approval timelines, and how Compassionate Allowances apply to SSDI and SSI claims.
How do I know if I qualify for a Compassionate Allowance disability claim?
The Compassionate Allowances List of Conditions is publicly available and updated regularly as the Social Security Administration revises the list. You are more likely to qualify for Compassionate Allowance if your condition involves certain cancers, adult neurological disorders, or rare childhood conditions, although many other severe medical conditions are also included on the list. It is worth confirming if your medical condition is listed in the database.
To qualify for benefits, you will still need to meet eligibility requirements for your SSDI or SSI claim. We recommend that you consult with a disability advocate to assist with your claim and confirm your eligibility for Compassionate Allowance.
My condition is not on the Compassionate Allowances list — can I still apply for disability benefits?
If your medical condition is not listed under the Compassionate Allowances list, you may still be eligible for disability benefits under the regular process. Alternatively, you may be able to pursue disability benefits through the Quick Disability Determination (QDD).
The QDD process uses a computer-based predictive model to screen initial applications for high likelihood of favorable disability determination and readily available medical evidence. Talk to a disability advocate about the likelihood of a QDD process for your disability claim.
Is Compassionate Allowance available for both SSDI and SSI claims?
Yes. Claimants who have a qualifying medical condition can apply for Compassionate Allowance for both SSDI and SSI claims. The Social Security Administration uses the same rules to evaluate medical conditions listed under Compassionate Allowances for both SSDI and SSI claims.
How do I apply for Social Security disability under Compassionate Allowances?
There is no separate process to apply for Compassionate Allowance under Social Security disability benefits. Instead, the Social Security Administration uses a technological process to fast-track a claim with an identified CAL medical condition. However, you can state on your application that your medical condition is on the Compassionate Allowances list.
How long does it take to get approved for Social Security disability under Compassionate Allowances?
Under ordinary circumstances, an initial determination can take the Social Security Administration six to eight months after you have submitted your application for disability benefits. Claimants can expect a five-month waiting period before receiving their first payment for Social Security disability benefits.
Applicants eligible for Compassionate Allowance can expect much quicker claims, sometimes occurring within days of the application submission, depending on how quickly medical evidence is confirmed. However, the Social Security Administration does not provide an official timeframe for Compassionate Allowance applications.
How often does Social Security expand the Compassionate Allowances list?
The Social Security Administration expands the Compassionate Allowances list annually, with the current Acting Commissioner of Social Security announcing the updates in August.
Below are links to announcements of CAL expansions released in the past decade:
- 2020: Social Security Expedites Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities
- 2021: Social Security Expands Compassionate Allowances Program for People with Severe Disabilities
- 2022: Social Security Accelerates Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities
- 2023: Social Security Administration Expedites Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities
- 2025: Social Security Expands Compassionate Allowances List
How does Social Security decide which conditions are added to the Compassionate Allowances list?
The Social Security Administration determines which new conditions to add to the Compassionate Allowances list based on the following sources:
- Information from public through submissions
- Comments from the Social Security and Disability Determination Service communities
Medical and scientific expert counsel - Research with the National Institutes of Health
- Information from CAL public outreach hearings
The Social Security Administration allows the public to submit information about a medical condition for Compassionate Allowances consideration if they believe it should be added to the Compassionate Allowances list.
Additional questions about work activity, waiting periods, and retroactive benefits under Compassionate Allowances are addressed as guidance from the Social Security Administration becomes available.
Need Social Security Disability Benefits? Talk To Our Advocate!
Because eligibility depends on both medical and non-medical factors, speaking with an experienced disability advocate can help clarify your options.
If you have further questions about how this update to the Compassionate Allowances program affects your eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, call us for a free consultation at 833-MY-DISABILITY (833-693-4722).
