Does Cancer Qualify For Disability In Washington?
Your head is swimming. Learning you have cancer changes your life. Your mind races with questions about treatments and outcomes.
Your expenses, however, don’t give you any breaks. Your condition makes working impossible, but your bills still arrive in the mail. It’s almost cruel.
Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits can ease your burden. The monthly checks allow you to focus on what’s most important — feeling the best you can.
Qualifying can be hard, though, even with cancer. It all depends on the type of cancer you’re facing and its severity. Sometimes, you have to go above and beyond to prove your cancer prevents you from holding a job.
Most disability applicants are denied on their first try.
The experienced lawyers at Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, know the system. We’ve helped thousands of people in Yakima, Kennewick and the entire Tri-Cities area win the benefits they need to move forward.
What You Need To Qualify For Social Security Disability With Cancer
Winning benefits with cancer depends on the kind of cancer you have.
Severe cancers can qualify you immediately for benefits in many cases. The Social Security Administration maintains a “compassionate allowance” list that details ailments that qualify applicants for immediate disability benefits. Many common cancers that qualify for disability are on the list.
Some examples:
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer
- Carcinoma
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Lymphoma
- Melanoma
- Pancreatic cancer
- Thyroid cancer
If your cancer isn’t on the list, it doesn’t mean you’re disqualified. You’ll have to apply for benefits the same way as anyone whose health problems prevent them from working, which requires you to prove three things:
- Your condition forces you out of your job.
- You’re unable to transfer to another line of work.
- Your cancer will force you to miss at least a year of work.
You’ll need medical evidence, hospital records, statements from people who know you and more. The process is full of opportunities for error. Sometimes, we’ve seen people rejected simply because their doctor didn’t know the Social Security definition of “disabled.”
At Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC, our attorneys know how to present your case to give you the best chance at winning your benefits. We’ll help you gather the right materials and put your mind at ease in this tough time.
To get started, we’ll evaluate your case for free.
If You’re Denied, We’ll Fight For Your Benefits
Getting your benefits application denied can make you feel hopeless.
You’re the one with cancer. You’re unable to work, fighting to recover from a serious illness and continue to support yourself. They had the gall to refuse help?
A denial isn’t the end of the road. You have multiple chances to appeal your decision.
Your most successful route to winning benefits after a denial could be a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ). It’s the only time you’ll get to plead your case in person. A Government Accountability Office report found you’re almost three times more likely to win benefits if you have representation at this hearing.
Let the experienced lawyers at Bothwell Hamill & Sutton, PLLC guide you through this complex system. We’ve been helping our neighbors in central Washington win benefits for years — people just like you.
You don’t pay us a cent until you win benefits.
