While many Social Security Disability claims are filed by disabled workers who are no longer able to maintain work due to a disabling condition, some are filed by parents on the behalf of children who have been diagnosed with a severely debilitating disease or illness.
In the past it used to take many of these parents years before seeing a payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA). While that is still the case in some instances, the SSA has recognized the fact that some children suffer from disabilities that are so severe that their claims warrant faster processing.
As a result, the SSA implemented the Compassionate Allowances program. Under this program certain applicants can qualify for disability benefits in a matter of weeks rather than having to wait months or years.
Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome is one of the conditions that have recently been added to the Compassionate Allowances listings. If your child has been diagnosed with this condition the following information will help you understand how you can work to ensure a quick and hassle-free approval of your child’s disability benefits.
Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome - Condition and Symptoms
Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, also known as WHS, chromosome deletion Dillan 4p syndrome, Pitt-Rogers-Danks syndrome and/or Pitt syndrome, is a pheonotype that results from a partial deletion of some of the material on the short arm of chromosome 4 of a person’s DNA.
The condition seems to affect more females than males. It is a rare disorder, affecting only about 1 in every 50,000 births.
Symptoms of Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome can vary from case to case. Common symptoms include distinct facial features such as microcephaly, a prominent glabella, ocular hypertelorism mental retardation, impaired growth, seizures, hearing loss, renal abnormalities and congenital heart defects.
Approximately 90 percent of the cases of Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome are not inherited. Instead, the disease results from a chromosomal deletion during the formation of the reproductive cells or early on in the embryotic development. There are some cases, however, where the disease is the result heredity.
This can occur when one of the child’s parents carries a defective copy of the chromosome and passes it down to the child.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome
If you are filing a disability claim based on a diagnosis of Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome it is very important that you prove that your child’s condition is so severe that it meets the criteria of this particular Compassionate Allowances listing.
This means that you will need to properly fill out all of the disability application paperwork and provide the SSA with sufficient medical evidence to support the claims made on the paperwork you submit.
When you fill out your child’s disability claim forms, you will need to make sure that you answer all of the questions asked with in-depth answers. Simple “yes” or “no” answers will not suffice and will likely result in a delay in approval or a denial of your child’s disability claim.
It is your job to be as specific and detailed as possible when providing the answers that the SSA is looking for on the application paperwork. In addition, you will want to provide medical records that support the statements you make on the disability claim forms.
Your child’s medical history, lab results and written statements from treating physicians will have a significant impact on the outcome of your child’s Social Security Disability case.
Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome and Your Social Security Disability Case
If your child has been diagnosed with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome and you wish to obtain Social Security Disability benefits from the SSA, you should consider seeking the help of a disability attorney before you submit your child’s claim for disability benefits to the SSA.
When you work with a disability attorney the attorney you hire will work to ensure that your disability claim forms are filled out properly, that you have enough objective medical evidence to support your claim and that your claim is presented in such a way that the SSA understands the severity of your child’s condition and how it qualifies for processing under the Compassionate Allowances guidelines.
Fortunately, disability attorneys work on a contingency basis, collecting only 25 percent of the back pay that you receive from the SSA. This means that the services of an attorney do not have to add to your financial stress and if you do not win your case, your attorney is not paid a fee.
