:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-182607239-615f199de265464f98680f5dda61ece3.jpg)
Social Security Administration Expedites Benefits for Additional Conditions, Faces Staffing Shortages
WASHINGTON – The Social Security Administration (SSA) has added several rare and severe medical conditions to its Compassionate Allowances (CAL) list, possibly speeding up disability benefits for those affected. Together, the agency is grappling with meaningful staffing shortages at field offices across the country, leading to longer wait times for applicants and beneficiaries.The updated CAL list, which aims to bypass standard processing times for demonstrably severe disabilities, now includes conditions such as AL-type amyloidosis, Rasmussen encephalitis, thymic carcinoma, turnpenny-Fry syndrome, WHO Grade III meningiomas, and ZHU-TOKITA-TAKENOCHI-KIM syndrome.Typically, the SSA takes three to five months to make a disability decision. Individuals with conditions on the CAL list may receive benefits more quickly. This change comes as the SSA faces increasing pressure to streamline its processes and address backlogs.A recent analysis by the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) reveals that 46 states and Washington, D.C. experienced a net loss of Social Security field office staff between March 2024 and March 2025. These offices provide crucial in-person assistance to over 119,000 people daily, according to the SSA’s latest data. The staffing reductions are causing delays for those seeking to apply for benefits, replace identification cards, or receive answers to questions about their Social Security accounts. The SOC reports these shortages are directly impacting access to vital services.
