According to the American Cancer Society, more than 2 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2025. While some cancers are detected early and respond well to treatment, others require aggressive treatment intervention that can take a serious toll on a person’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Many people ultimately find that, even if they intend to keep working during treatment, the fatigue, pain, cognitive difficulties, and frequent medical appointments make it impossible.
Many cancer patients are left wondering if they will qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) while they focus on recovery. The Social Security Administration (SSA) does provide disability benefits for some individuals undergoing cancer treatment or living with long-term effects. However, eligibility depends on several important factors.
Can You Get Disability If You Have Cancer?
If you have cancer, you likely qualify for SSDI, though approval isn’t automatic. The SSA evaluates your functional ability to work rather than just a diagnosis. Even treatable or early-stage cancers may qualify for benefits if your symptoms, treatment, or complications prevent you from performing substantial gainful activity (SGA), or work that provides income.
Importantly, some cancers qualify for Compassionate Allowances. This program expedites applications for severe or rapidly progressing conditions, including cases where the cancer is inoperable, has spread beyond the primary site, or is recurrent despite treatment.
What Types of Cancer Qualify for Disability?
The SSA evaluates cancers based on site, severity, response to treatment, and residual side effects. Overall, your eligibility depends on whether or not your condition meets or medically equals the SSA’s Blue Book listing. Cancers are considered for disability if they are:
- Inoperable or unresectable
- Persistent, recurrent, or progressive
- Metastatic
Therapy type and impact also influence eligibility. The SSA considers whether you are undergoing multimodal therapy, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, and may defer evaluation until your full treatment course is completed to assess the treatment’s effectiveness.
Certain treatments, such as bone marrow or stem cell transplants, carry special considerations. For example, donor transplants are considered disabling for at least 12 months, while transplants from a patient’s own cells are considered disabling for at least 12 months from the start of the treatment plan.
Even after treatment, residual impairments can qualify as disabling if they last at least 12 months. These lingering effects often include:
- Fatigue or weakness
- Gastrointestinal complications
- Neurological or cognitive issues
- Cardiovascular complications
- Mental health difficulties
The Blue Book also specifies criteria for particular types of cancer, such as lymphomas, leukemias, CNS cancers, breast cancer, and some melanomas. Other kinds of cancers will result in your immediate approval for SSDI benefits, including pancreatic cancer, oat cell lung cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, and esophageal cancer.
How to Prove Your Condition to the SSA
Medical documentation is critical to getting approved for SSDI. Working closely with your doctor ensures the SSA has enough information to conclude your cancer qualifies as a disability. Typically, the SSA wants:
- Biopsy results or pathology reports that confirm the type of cancer you have.
- Imaging scans that identify tumor locations and, if applicable, where your cancer has spread.
- Surgical or biopsy notes from your physician explaining why the cancer is inoperable or why certain treatments are necessary.
- Treatment details outlining what therapies you’ve received, their frequency, and any associated side effects that impact your ability to work.
When Your Cancer Doesn’t Meet Blue Book Requirements
If your cancer does not meet the necessary Blue Book requirements, that doesn’t mean you are prohibited from getting SSDI benefits. Instead, your case will go through additional reviews called residual functional capacity (RFC).
Under RFC, you will have to show that your cancer, your treatments, and the side effects of those treatments are so severe that they make work of any kind impossible for you to perform. You will have to complete functional report forms that ask you about your daily life so the SSA can better understand your limitations.
What If Your Cancer Is In Remission?
If your cancer enters remission, your SSDI benefits are generally unaffected unless the remission is expected to last for at least three years. SSA monitors beneficiaries on an ongoing basis, typically every two to three years, and sends written requests for updated medical information.
Get Help Securing SSDI Benefits
Navigating an SSDI claim while managing cancer and its effects can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to focus on treatment and recovery. A knowledgeable representative can ease that burden. Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys has decades of experience guiding clients through the SSDI system, building strong applications, and overturning unfair denials. Our team understands how challenging these cases can be and works closely with clients to secure the benefits they need and deserve. When you’re ready for support, we’ll be here to help.