Social Security Disability Benefits For Cancer Diagnosis

SSDI Cancer Eligibility Guidelines

1. Determine if an individual is working (engaging in substantial gainful activity) according to the SSA definition. Earning more than $1,470 a month as an employee is enough to be disqualified from receiving Social Security disability benefits.

2. Conclude the cancer disability must be severe enough to significantly limit one’s ability to perform basic work activities needed to do most jobs. For example:

• Walking, standing, sitting, lifting, pushing, pulling, reaching, carrying or handling.
• Seeing, hearing and speaking.
• Understanding/carrying out and remembering simple instructions.
• Responding appropriately to supervision, co-workers and usual work situations.
• Dealing with changes in a routine work setting.

3. Ask if the cancer disability meets or equals a medical listing. Cancer is considered under neoplastic diseases–malignant (Medical Listing 13.00). Satisfying the listing criteria for cancer is dependent upon the site of the cancer, type of cancer, as well as the presence of distant metastases. For example, sarcoma of the breast with metastases anywhere is a listing level impairment (Medical Listing 13.04).

4. Explore the ability of an individual to perform work they have done in the past despite their cancer. If the SSA finds that a person can do his past work, benefits are denied. If the person cannot, then the process proceeds to the fifth and final step.

5. Review age, education, work experience and physical/mental condition to determine what other work, if any, the person can perform. To determine cancer disability, the SSA enlists medical-vocational rules, which vary according to age.

For example, if a person is:

• Under age 50 and, as a result of the symptoms of cancer, unable to perform what the SSA calls sedentary work, then the SSA will reach a determination of disabled. Sedentary work requires the ability to lift a maximum of 10 pounds at a time, sit six hours and occasionally walk and stand two hours per eight-hour day.
• Age 50 or older and, due to the cancer disability, limited to performing sedentary work, but has no work-related skills that allow him to do so, the SSA will reach a determination of disabled.
• Age 55 or older and, due to the disability, limited to performing light work, but has no work-related skills that allow him to do so, the SSA will reach a determination of disabled.
• Over age 60 and, due to the cancer disability, unable to perform any of the jobs he performed in the last 15 years, the SSA will likely reach a determination of disabled.
• Any age and, because of cancer, has a psychological impairment that prevents even simple, unskilled work, the SSA will reach a determination of cancer disabled.