Because Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition that affects motor skills, living with it can be challenging. Individuals who have Parkinsonism dementia complex, though, are often on the road to full paralysis. If you have this type of medical condition, you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
Securing SSDI benefits often requires jumping through a few hoops. Those who have PDC, however, often have an easier time. If you have a diagnosis, you may want to begin the process as soon as possible to ensure you have the financial resources you need to support yourself and your family members.
Parkinsonism dementia complex
PDC affects a person’s nerve cells. While the condition may progress slowly or rapidly, the results are usually the same. That is, individuals with this condition lose their abilities to control muscles. Unused muscles eventually atrophy, resulting in partial or complete paralysis. Regrettably, because scientists do not yet understand the causes of PDC, there are few treatment options.
Compassionate allowances
SSDI benefits are available for individuals who have both a certain number of work credits and the inability to perform substantial gainful activity. While many medical conditions potentially qualify, the Social Security Administration presumes some disorders are so limiting that they automatically qualify for benefits. Fortunately, the SSA has placed PDC on its list of compassionate allowances.
Your disability benefits
The SSA has recognized that PDC often makes performing job duties virtually impossible. This means, provided you have a diagnosis, you may win approval of SSDI benefits faster than others. Even so, because you have the burden of demonstrating you cannot work because of your disability, you must add extensive medical documentation and other records to your SSDI application.
If your doctor has diagnosed you with PDC, you may be looking for some good news. By understanding both your diagnosis and the SSA’s compassionate allowances, you can better plan your SSDI strategy.