Can I Qualify for Disability with Cancer? (Updated 2024)

Social Security disability benefits are available for cancer patients in form of Social Security disability benefits. 

The SSA offers two different programs that those with cancer can qualify for. Disability benefits for cancer patients can help cover daily living expenses, such as rent, utilities, food, medical bills, etc. Continue reading below to see how to qualify for disability benefits

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Is Cancer a Disability?

Yes, cancer is considered a disability by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which means that cancer is able to qualify for disability benefits.

Those with cancer can qualify for disability benefits if they can prove they meet a Blue Book disability listing for cancer. The Blue Book is the list of conditions that qualify for disability. The Blue Book has an entire section dedicated to explaining how different cancers can qualify for disability. 

This section, section 13.00 Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases) has 29 different listings. Each discusses a specific type of cancer and how it can qualify for disability benefits. Some more accelerated cancers may automatically qualify for disability as well.

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Can You Get Disability with Cancer?

You are able to get disability with cancer if you it prevents you from being able to work full time for at least a year. 

If your cancer has progressed enough and is considered metastatic, or stage IV, or if it’s considered terminal, you will automatically get disability benefits through the Compassionate Allowance program.  

Compassionate Allowances allows the SSA to approve disability application faster for more severe cases, such as stage IV cancer in order for disability benefits to be processed and collected faster for those who qualify.

In order to get disability with cancer, your cancer diagnosis has to match one of the various cancer listings in the SSA’s Blue Book.

The Blue Book is the list of conditions that the SSA considers disabilities and that qualify for disability benefits. The SSA does consider cancer a disability and the listings are in section 13.00 of the Blue Book.

You also need to have enough work credits to qualify for disability, because SSDI benefits are for workers who at one point could work full time but can no longer work full time because of a disability like cancer.

Work credits are calculated by your age and how long you have worked. You can earn up to at least four work credits per year that you have worked.

 As of 2023, you earn one work credit for every $1,640 of earnings you have made in that year. If you have cancer, use our Social Security Benefits Calculator to see how much you could be able to earn in disability benefits.

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How Do I Qualify for Disability With Cancer Via The Blue Book?

The SSA has a manual called the Blue Book and within this manual are hundreds of listings for recognized disabilities. 

The book helps doctors and their patients understand what qualifies under the SSA’s regulations. It additionally allows disability examiners to compare applicant medical records to SSD requirements to determine eligibility for benefits.

The Blue Book is made available in its entirety online and you’ll find the cancer listings in Section 13.00. 

Disability listings in the cancer section are broken down by where cancer originates or first develops. Each form of cancer will qualify differently. For example, a diagnosis of esophageal cancer will automatically qualify for disability benefits. 

Breast cancer, on the other hand, will need to have spread to distant regions of the breast or other areas of the body to qualify. You can review the SSA's Blue Book listing for cancer on the SSA's website.

The SSA lists specific criteria that they look for when they evaluate cancer under their listings. These include:

• Origin of cancer
• Extent of involvement
• Duration, frequency, and response to anticancer therapy
• Effects of any post-therapeutic residuals

 

The SSA also tells you which medical evidence to provide with your application for disability, which include: 

• Surgical or biopsy notes, or a report from a physician noting why cancer is not operable or can’t be removed
• Biopsy results or a pathology report documenting the type of cancer you have
• Imaging scans showing the location(s) of tumors or spread of the disease

 

Report complete contact information for all your healthcare providers, including hospitals, doctors, and outpatient treatment clinics, among others. Details of your cancer treatments, including how often you undergo them and what their affects have been. 

If you have cancer, your doctor will be able to help you with your application if you are applying for disability benefits.

Medical evidence is key to any disability claim with cancer and your doctor will be able to provide all the documentation you need to back up your claim that you can no longer work because of your cancer.

Doctors notes and recommendations go a long way with the SSA. You should ask your doctor if they can provide a disability doctor letter of recommendation for you to get disability benefits, that will help show the SSA that you cannot work anymore because of your cancer.

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How Cancer Qualifies for Disability Through Compassionate Allowances

Some forms of aggressive and late state cancer can also qualify under the SSA’s Compassionate Allowance (CAL) program. This program ensures applications are reviewed and approved as quickly as possible. Most cancers will qualify as a CAL if one of the following has occurred:

• The cancer has spread beyond the region of origin
• The cancer is inoperable
• The cancer is recurrent despite treatment

 

Certain cancers will qualify for benefits automatically while others can qualify if certain criteria are met. Some of the cancers that can automatically qualify for disability through the compassionate allowance program are:

• Breast cancer with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
• Esophageal Cancer
• Gallbladder Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Ovarian cancer with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Small-cell lung cancer
• Thyroid Cancer

 

Whether your cancer meets a Blue Book listing or qualifies for expedited review under the CAL program, medical records are an essential part of your disability claim. Work closely with your doctor to understand Blue Book requirements and to ensure your application and medical history provide the information the SSA needs.

Keep in mind that if your cancer doesn’t meet a listed condition, then you will need to go through additional review procedures. 

The SSA automatically requests more information from you and your doctor if you don’t meet or closely match a disability listing. This process is known as a “residual functional capacity” or RFC analysis.

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How to Get Disability with Cancer If You Don’t Meet a Listing

 You can still qualify for disability with cancer, even if you don’t meet the SSA’s Blue Book listings.

 If you don’t meet or closely match a listing, you’ll have to show that your cancer, required treatments, and the side effects or residual challenges you face are severe enough that they prevent you from working in any job.

You will have to complete and qualify through a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) report, which is a report that shows the maximum amount of work you can do in spite of your disability, such as cancer. 

The RFC process requires you and your doctor to complete “functional” report forms. The report form you fill out will ask about your daily life and may seem to have no bearing on whether or not you could work. However, the SSA uses the information you provide in your functional report to better understand your everyday limitations.

If, for example, your cancer treatments make it impossible for you to do laundry, shop, or mow the grass without help from someone else, this lets the SSA know that you would struggle with or not be able to do certain kinds of job duties.

 From these kinds of details, the SSA is able to determine that you therefore cannot work in particular types of jobs.

Keep in mind that the SSA will consider age to be a large factor when applying for disability benefits through an RFC. 

This is because older men and women are considered harder to retrain and unlikely to be able to take a new, easier job than someone in their 20s. If you do not have a college degree, you will also be more likely to qualify through an RFC.

Your doctor must also complete a functional report for the SSA as part of the RFC process. The SSA needs an “expert” opinion on your everyday limitations and what causes them, so your doctor's RFC report is crucial.

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How to Apply for Disability with Cancer

The SSA has two different disability programs for which you may qualify with cancer. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is available for disabled workers, but Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may also be an option for you, if you have a low household income.

You can submit an SSDI application online, via the SSA’s website, or you can apply at your local SSA office.

 SSI applications must be completed in-person or via a personal interview with an SSA representative, so a local office visit to the Social Security Administration is usually required.

Whether you apply for just one program or for both, you will need to gather your documentation and be prepared to provide consistent and thorough details about your, employment history, financial situation, medical records, and education and job training.

The forms you fill out during the application process ask many questions and some may be repetitive, but don’t leave anything blank. 

Even if the question doesn’t apply to you, give an answer. Stating “not applicable” or “N/A” is fine, and doing so will prevent the SSA from having more questions and delaying your application in the process.

Keep in mind that medical records are the key to getting disability benefits. In fact, medical records can be one of, if not, the most important signs your disability claim will be approved.

The disability examiner that reviews your claim must be able to obtain your medical records. Any gaps in those records may cause you to be denied disability benefits.

 You can even get copies of your own medical records and forward those to the SSA, if necessary. This will sometimes speed up the application process.

 With any luck, your claim will be approved quickly and you can focus on your treatments. Oftentimes, when you're in the midst of the application process for disability benefits, it can be helpful to educate yourself on this process by looking at the signs that you will be approved for disability. 

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How Do I Appeal a Disability Denial?

Two out of every three disability applications are denied initially. Don’t worry because you have the option of appealing the SSA’s denials. 

 They are denied for a variety of reasons, including incomplete applications, missing information or simply that the applicant does not meet the guidelines to receive benefits. Be sure to look out for the signs that you will be denied for disability.

It is very important not to panic if you are denied disability at first. You have 60 days to file an appeal, so you need to focus on responding to the SSA with a request for reconsideration.

 It is possible that another representative will take a different approach with your application. This is also an opportunity to add more information to your application that you might have missed the first time. 

Make sure that you have a complete medical record of your diagnosis, your treatment plan and all test results related to your condition. 

If you are taking medication, make sure you list all of your prescriptions and note any side effects that are impacting your ability to work.

Since time has passed since you submitted your initial application, the appeal process is an opportunity to include any relevant updates, including additional doctor visits, new reactions or side effects or developments in your condition that were not present when you first submitted your claim.

If your request for reconsideration is denied, the next step is to go to a disability hearing, where an administrative judge will hear your case.

 The judge will rely upon a medical expert and a vocational expert to interpret the information in your application.

 You will be able to bring witnesses to the hearing who can help support your claim. From there, if your claim is denied again the next step is the Appeals Council, where the decision from the disability hearing will either be upheld or overturned.

The appeal process can be daunting. If you need more support or want to work with someone who understands the nuances of the process, consider hiring a Social Security disability attorney or disability advocate to increase your chances of winning your appeal.

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Common Questions for People Qualifying For Disability With Cancer

When you apply for disability with cancer, there are a lot of questions that people have regarding their disability application. 

That includes additional benefits they could receive, the financial costs of cancer, etc. Below are some common questions people have when applying for disability with cancer.

The maximum amount you can get in disability with cancer is $3,627 per month. The maximum amount you can get in SSI with cancer is $914 a month. 

The average disability check though is a little under $1,400 per month. How much your disability check with cancer depends on your work history and the severity of your cancer. 

A disability lawyer will be able to tell you how much in disability you could get.

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Are There State Benefits For Cancer Patients?

Depending on where you live, if you have cancer there could be state benefits available for you to go alongside Social Security disability benefits.

 Some states have programs that help provide benefits to cover the cost of treatments and prescription medications you are taking because of your cancer diagnosis.

One benefit that cancer patients are entitled to if they meet the criteria is Medicaid. Medicaid is a partially federally-funded health care program that is administered by each state.

Medicaid does not pay recipients directly, it provides health benefits to those with very little income. Individuals who have cancer and are on SSI benefits may be eligible for Medicaid.

Each state has a Medicaid office, it is recommended to contact your local Medicaid office to see if your state has additional benefits program

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Can Cancer Patients Get Help With Food Costs?

There are some state programs that maybe able to help with food costs for low-income people who are unable to work due to a cancer diagnosis. 

These include the following: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP is the best known one. It allows people to shop for food in grocery stores using a special Electronic Benefits Transfer card, much like a bank card.

Meals on Wheels is a program designed for people who are disabled, homebound, or elderly. Volunteers deliver cooked meals to your home. Costs or fees vary depending on your age and where you live.

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What Other Benefits Are Cancer Patients Entitled To?

As long as you have evidence to prove your cancer diagnosis you may qualify for disability benefits as long as you are unable to work for at least 12 months.

 This helps to cover your expenses while receiving cancer treatment. There are other organizations who are available to offer assistance if you have been diagnosed with cancer. Some of these are listed below:

• The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge® program may be able to offer families a free place to stay when cancer treatment is being given far from the victim’s home. The Healthcare Hospitality Network is a group of almost 200 non-profit organizations throughout the US that offers free or low-cost family-centered lodging to families getting medical treatment for cancer treatment far from home.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) may be able to provide monthly payments to help cancer victims pay for food, clothing, housing, utilities, transportation, phone bills, medical supplies which aren’t covered by Medicaid. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is another resource that may be able to help if your income is very low and you are suffering from cancer.

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What Are the Financial Costs of Cancer?

The financial impact of cancer includes medical bills and prescription medications costs of course, but loss of earnings is perhaps the most difficult monetary hurdle to overcome.

Making ends meet is hard enough when income is consistent, but periodic or extended absences from work mean no paycheck or a reduced paycheck with which to cover everyday living expenses, let alone major medical bills.

Even if you’re able to receive benefits through an employer-sponsored or private short-term disability (STD) or long-term disability (LTD) insurance plan, it is still likely you’ll only receive somewhere between 60% and 70% of your usual paycheck while you’re off work on medical leave.

To complicate matters further, disability and LTD coverage eventually run out, with most disability plans paying about three months of benefits and most LTD plans covering about six months.

Treatment costs vary, but cancer is expensive. Chemotherapy and radiation remain the most common treatment methods, though new biological treatments are increasing in number.

Due to their relative newness, biologicals are often pricier, but the costs of cancer drugs in general also continue to rise. In fact, the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics reports the average cost of a one-month supply of cancer drugs hit $10,000.

The costs of fighting or living with cancer don’t end there though. Surgeries, biopsies, imaging scans, lab work, pathology reports, and other diagnostic, treatment, and monitoring costs pile up.

The stress of covering these bills, especially when you’re unable to work, can be overwhelming. If you’re able to qualify, Social Security disability benefits for cancer can provide monthly financial support.

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You Could Be Entitled to $3,627 Per Month! Get a Free Disability Evaluation

Qualifying for disability benefits with cancer depends on the kind of cancer and the treatment. 

Other forms of cancer may qualify for benefits, but qualification will be dependent upon treatment and response to treatment. 

Section 13.00 of the Blue Book has an entire section dedicated to cancer, and the SSA will look at factors like age and response to treatment to decide whether your particular diagnosis will qualify.

If you don’t qualify for disability benefits with your cancer diagnosis, you could qualify for benefits under a medical-vocational allowance, which determines whether or not you are capable of working with your diagnosis. 

You might not be considered disabled under the Blue Book, but your diagnosis could prevent you from performing the mental and physical demands of your job, in which case you would not be able to work. Take our free disability evaluation to see if you qualify for disability.

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