Is cancer a disability? Can you get disability for cancer? Criteria for getting disability with cancer My cancer meets the criteria. Now what? What if my cancer doesn’t meet the criteria? Do I qualify for disability with cancer in remission? How much is a disability check for cancer? 3 tips when applying for disability with cancer Find disability help in your state Other conditions that can qualify for disability: Resources > General General Is Cancer a Disability? How to Qualify for Benefits With Cancer Written by Jackie Jakab Lead Attorney Published March 25, 2024 5 min read Why trust us? Compass Disability offers free, high-quality disability advice for Americans who can't work. Our team of Stanford and Harvard trained lawyers has a combined 15+ years of legal experience, and have helped over 10,000 Americans apply for disability benefits.

Why trust us? If you’ve struggled to work because of cancer, you may qualify for disability benefits. In 2022, 3.5% of workers received disability benefits for neoplasms — new and abnormal growth of body tissue, characteristic of cancer.

We’ll go over how the SSA defines cancer, when cancer can qualify you for disability, and what you should do if you think you qualify for benefits.

Is cancer a disability?

Yes, cancer is typically considered a disability due to the effects of both the disease and side effects of cancer treatment. Cancer refers to diseases characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that destroy body tissue.

People with cancer are protected from discrimination by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Social Security Administration (SSA) also considers cancer a disability, which means it could qualify you for disability benefits.

The SSA dedicates section 13.00 of its Blue Book to cancer (malignant neoplastic diseases).

How the SSA defines cancer

The SSA doesn’t technically provide a definition of cancer. Instead, they claim that listings in section 13.00 evaluate all cancers (more on this below) except those associated with the HIV virus (which are covered under a separate section).

Common types of cancer

The SSA provides an exhaustive list of cancers based on where the cancer originates from. Some common conditions include (but are not limited to):

For each of these conditions, the SSA has a list of medical criteria to disability applicants must meet to qualify.

Note that the SSA only includes examples of cancer they consider severe enough to prevent people from doing their job. This means there’s a chance your cancer isn’t on this list — but that doesn’t mean you can’t get disability benefits for your impairment.

The SSA will still consider your case if you have an impairment that meets the criteria of a listing in another body system.

Can you get disability for cancer?

Yes, you can get Social Security disability benefits for cancer if it’s disabling, meaning that you’re unable to work or handle daily activities because of your condition.

You won’t automatically qualify for benefits just because you have cancer. You’ll need to prove how severe your impairment is to the SSA with medical evidence.

Your best option is to work with a doctor (and likely a disability attorney) to properly document your condition.

Criteria for getting disability with cancer

To get disability benefits for cancer, you must be able to show that your cancer is disabling.

For certain types of cancer, the SSA will consider it to be disabling until a particular point in time — for example, until at least 18 months from the date of your cancer diagnosis, or 12 months from the date of transplantation.

For listings that don’t contain such specifications, the SSA will consider the impairment to be disabling until there is no evidence of the original tumor or a recurrence (or relapse) and any available metastases for at least three years. If you have a recurrence or relapse, your impairment may meet or medically equal one of the listings again.

The SSA has specific criteria for each type of cancer listed but again, note that they only include conditions they consider severe enough to prevent people from doing their job .

If your cancer is severe enough that it obviously meets the SSA’s criteria for compassionate allowances, your disability claim can be expedited. We’ll go over what to do if your claim does, or doesn’t, meet these criteria in a later section.

How the SSA evaluates cancer claims

For each type of cancer listed, the SSA will specify the criteria required for you to qualify for disability benefits. Generally, they consider four factors:

To evaluate your case, they will need these types of evidence:

If you don’t have these documents, the SSA will accept the summary of hospitalization(s) or other medical reports. These documents should include details of the findings at surgery and if appropriate, the pathological findings.

In certain situations, the SSA will also ask for evidence of recurrence, persistence, or progression of the cancer, your response to therapy, and any significant residuals.

Some questions you may be asked:

Cancer conditions that qualify for accelerated approval

If your cancer is severe enough that it obviously meets the SSA’s criteria, your claim might be expedited thanks to the Compassionate Allowance program.

Some Compassionate Allowance conditions include (but are not limited to):

Of course, you still need to submit a complete application with medical evidence to prove that your condition is severe enough to qualify for this initiative. You won’t, however, need to submit a separate application for the program — the SSA will flag your claim as Compassionate Allowance–based on your case.

My cancer meets the criteria. Now what?

If your cancer meets the SSA’s criteria, apply for disability benefits as soon as you can.

To determine if you qualify for benefits, take our 2-minute quiz . If you do qualify, we can refer you to an experienced disability lawyer. Our services are totally free, and you won’t have to pay the lawyer unless they win your case.

Typically, you’ll either apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

SSDI is generally available if you’ve worked at least five of the past 10 years, but can no longer work because of your cancer. On the other hand, SSI is income-based — which means you can qualify as long as you have little to no income.

Learn more about SSDI vs. SSI .

What if my cancer doesn’t meet the criteria?

If your condition doesn’t satisfy the criteria above, you can still apply for disability benefits. The most important thing is to prove your cancer is disabling.

The SSA will determine if your condition medically equals a listing, or if your current health still prevents you from working.

Unfortunately, qualifying for disability is difficult. Only about 20% of people applying for disability benefits win their claim on the initial application.

You can always appeal — this is when you can submit new medical evidence and better argue your case in front of a judge. At this stage, you’re much more likely to win (nearly half of the applicants get approved after the appeal process).

Do I qualify for disability with cancer in remission?

As long as your cancer prevents you from working, you can qualify for benefits. If you’re in partial remission, but you still have symptoms that make it hard to work a job — you should still apply.

If you’re unsure about whether or not to apply, or unsure of whether your symptoms will come back — we recommend getting an application started. The application process can be long — up to two years — and you’ll benefit from having gotten a start early.

If you’ve already applied for and are receiving disability benefits, remission shouldn’t immediately impact your benefits.

Your cancer is considered disabling unless you go three years from the original tumor being present, fully in remission, without any cancer recurring. At this point, the SSA may reevaluate your eligibility.

How much is a disability check for cancer?

In 2022, the average disability check for neoplasms was $1,729.82. If your cancer qualifies for disability benefits, you can get up to $3,822 per month from SSDI, and up to $943 per month from SSI in 2024.

The maximum amounts for SSDI and SSI are set by law and are the same for every medical condition. Your actual disability check will vary depending on your work history (if you apply for SSDI) or your sources of income (if you apply for SSI). Some people can also qualify for and receive both payments.

Estimate your disability benefit amount in just a few steps We'll use the Social Security Administration's formula to estimate your monthly benefit.

Average monthly check

$1,489

3 tips when applying for disability with cancer

There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of winning your claim:

Find disability help in your state

Alabama

Arizona

California

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

Other regions

Other conditions that can qualify for disability:

Alzheimer's

Anemia

Anxiety

Arthritis

Asthma

Autism

Back pain

Bipolar disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder

Brain tumor

Breast cancer

Cancer

Carpal tunnel

Colostomy bag

Coma/Vegetative States

Crohn's disease

Depression

Diabetes

Dialysis

Epilepsy

Fibromyalgia

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Insomnia

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Kidney disease

Long Covid

Mental illness

Migraines

Narcolepsy

OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)

Panic disorder

Parkinson's

Peripheral neuropathy

Rheumatoid Arthritis Schizophrenia

Sciatica

Sickle cell

Ulcerative colitis

See all conditions

Jackie Jakab

Lead Attorney

See if you qualify See if you qualify How long has your condition made it hard to work?

About Us Mission Careers For Clients My Account Help Center Articles Fields of Law Disability Benefits Workers' Compensation For Lawyers Our Firm Lawyer Portal At the bottom of many websites, you'll find a small disclaimer: "We are not a law firm and are not qualified to give legal advice." If you see this, run the other way. These people can't help you: they're prohibited by law from giving meaningful advice, recommending specific lawyers, or even telling you whether you need a lawyer at all.

There’s no disclaimer here: Compass Disability is a law firm, and we are qualified to give legal advice. We can answer your most pressing questions, make clear recommendations, and search far and wide to find the right lawyer for you.

Two important things to note: If we give you legal advice, it will be through a lawyer on our staff communicating with you directly. (Don't make important decisions about your case based solely on this or any other website.) And if we take you on as a client, it will be through a document you sign. (No attorney-client relationship arises from using this site or calling us.)

Terms | Privacy | California Privacy | CHD Policy | Disclaimer | This website is lawyer advertising.

Need help with your disability claim?

Our case advocates are available now — free advice, no commitment required.

See If You Qualify — Free