Living on a low income can be particularly distressing for individuals who have a disability or who are in their elderly years. In some cases, people facing such circumstances may be able to apply for Supplemental Security Income that allows them to receive financial assistance from the Social Security Administration. While approval of an applicant can take months, some qualifying individuals may be able to receive presumptive disability benefits under certain conditions.
Presumptive disability benefits are payments made to SSI applicants before their applications are officially approved. The SSA may make presumptive disability payments if the agency believes there is a high likelihood of that person’s application for SSI being approved in the near future. Often, certain conditions can lead to the SSA to make the decision that presumptive disability is applicable to a particular case.
Some conditions that may qualify a person for early payments include the following:
- A terminal illness with a short life expectancy, meaning less than six months
- AIDS
- Down syndrome
- Leg amputation at the hip
- Autism or certain other intellectual disabilities or neurodevelopmental disorders
- A stroke that causes continued difficulties in using extremities
- Being bedridden due to a long-term condition
Of course, this list is not exhaustive of all the conditions that could qualify a person for presumptive disability benefits. However, it is important to note that these decisions are made by the SSA on a case-by-case basis. It is still important to have a strong SSI application if a person hopes to receive benefits, presumptive or otherwise.
