Bill Proposes Immediate Social Security Disability Payments for the Terminally Ill

It’s no secret that getting approved for Social Security Disability benefits can be a long, drawn-out process. The Social Security Administration has conceded that it takes the agency more than a year to process some claims. Even once a claim is approved, the recipient has to wait five months before receiving their first payment. So, what happens if the applicant is terminally ill and can’t wait months or years to receive benefits? A new bill proposed by lawmakers will hopefully address this question.

A new law proposed by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown and John Barrasso aims to allow those who are deemed terminally ill by two independent certified physicians to immediately begin receiving Social Security Disability benefits. The bill would also require annual reporting on the number of individuals who receive expedited payments.

As part of the plan outlined in the bill, those who receive the expedited payments would only receive 50 percent of their total monthly payment in the first month after being approved. According to the Portsmouth Daily Times, the individual would then receive 75 percent of their monthly payment in the second month, followed by full payments in the third through the twelfth month of approval.

If the claimant is still living in the second year following their approval, they will receive a prorated amount of the benefits that were paid during the first five months of approval. By the third year, the recipient would get 95 percent of their total monthly benefit amount.

Our legal staff at Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin recognize the hardships many terminally ill Social Security Disability applicants face while waiting for their claim to be processed. That’s why our Social Security Disability lawyers are hopeful this new bill will be approved during upcoming legislative sessions.