Compassionate Allowance Listing (CAL)

The Compassionate Allowance List (CAL) was created by Social Security in 2008 to identify conditions and diagnoses that are so severe they will automatically meet Social Security’s strict definition of disability. The list helps reduce waiting times on decisions for benefits for individuals with the most serious conditions.

Each year, Social Security adds new conditions to their Compassionate Allowance Listings. Utilizing information from the public, comments from the Social Security and Disability Determination Services, research with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and information received from past public outreaching hearings regarding potential CAL conditions; Social Security determines which new conditions will be added to the list.

Social Security’s system will automatically flag CAL conditions for decision-making, fast-tracking decisions for Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits recipients. An individual meeting one of these listings will not receive additional benefits above what SSDI and SSI will already provide, but will have a significantly lower wait time on decisions.

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