Any Missouri resident who is diagnosed with cancer can feel considerable anxiety. This is often made worse by concerns over employment. Depending on the type and severity of cancer, a patient may not be able to continue working, which can make meeting the costs of treatment difficult, if not impossible. For some people, disability insurance through workplace healthcare policies can help. In other cases, patients may have to look to Social Security Disability Insurance for financial relief.
Anyone who has been in the workforce long enough could be eligible for some Social Security Disability benefits, although qualifying is often a difficult task. In fact, many applications are turned down at first. Fortunately, appeals are possible, and many of these are approved as long as the applicant can provide evidence that satisfies an administrative law court judge. Regardless of whether an application is granted on the first application or through a later appeal, benefits do not start right away. They begin six months after the disability has been approved as eligible. Serious illnesses, such as cancer, can win approval in much less time if a diagnosis is on the SSA’s compassionate allowances list. Whatever benefits are awarded to an SSDI recipient are paid on a monthly basis. The amount changes every year.
Children can also qualify for this benefit, provided they meet the SSA’s definitions of disability. Children diagnosed with cancer are almost always considered disabled. Supplemental Security Income can also be awarded to an eligible member of a disabled person’s family if the individual’s income is below a certain level. In addition, cancer patients can apply for federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which provides monthly cash payments to cover costs not met by Medicaid. These include expenses for basic necessities that any person would have.
Source: Cancer.org, “Disability Benefits,” Accessed April 13, 2015
