A breast cancer diagnosis can be devastating. Even if your cancer is caught early and is very treatable, you can suffer mentally and you might be unable to work while you undergo the treatments, which might include chemotherapy and radiation. Because there are a high number of breast cancer diagnosis every year, the Blue Book, which is the medical guide for the Social Security Administration (SSA), has a listing for breast cancer and details how it can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
What Happens When You Are Approved With Breast Cancer?
After your disability claim for breast cancer has been approved, monthly Social Security Disability benefits start from the sixth month after you became disabled. Be sure to include all your symptoms and side effects when completing paperwork and be detailed and precise about when symptoms and problems began. You may experience nausea, fatigue, weakness, loss of balance, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating from the medications and treatments. Provide all your medical records, which will clearly detail your symptoms, side effects, restrictions, and limitations.
Back Pay And Breast Cancer
If a breast cancer diagnosis has left you unable to work, your disability claim may seem challenging. To have a successful claim, hard medical evidence is needed. Provide a detailed list of your medical caregivers, including all doctors, clinics, nurse practitioners, hospitals, cancer centers, specialists, and labs. Your documentation must include the names of and the addresses and phone numbers for each provider. Include the service dates. Your breast cancer disability claim might include backpay, going back to the date when you filed for Social Security disability. That backpay will continue from that date until your disability claim was approved. Most claimants get backpay within 60 days of being approved for disability benefits.
Retroactive Payments For Cancer
Retroactive disability benefits that go as far back as 12 months before you filed your disability claim could apply to your case. Your records must show you were disabled before filing your claim. Retroactive payments only apply to while you were unable to work because of your breast cancer if your condition met the SSA guidelines to qualify as disabled. To get retroactive benefits because of being disabled due to breast cancer, provide supporting documentation showing your disability existed at least 5 months before you applied for disability.
How To Calculate How Much You Could Receive With Breast Cancer
Social Security taxes that you paid plays a major role in your disability benefit amount. Your earnings history and the taxes you paid will be reviewed. The SSA will then calculate your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) and your primary insurance amount (PIA). Your monthly disability benefits for breast cancer can be determined using those figures.
Applying For Disability Benefits
If breast cancer has left you unable to work, start your application for Social Security Disability benefits. You can file a disability application for breast cancer online at www.ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213.
