Each and every year millions of individuals apply for Social Security Disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. The majority of these individuals (nearly 70 percent) are not approved during the initial application process. As a result, they must file a disability appeal and wait two years or more for benefits to begin (if they ever do). In some cases, as those who have been diagnosed with alpha mannosidosis, waiting years or even just months for an approval of a Social Security Disability claim is not acceptable. The Social Security Administration has recognized this fact and has added alpha mannosidosis as one of the conditions that qualifies an application for processing under the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances guidelines. If you have a child who has been diagnosed with alpha mannosidosis and you are wondering how the condition affects your child’s eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits, the following information will help.
Alpha Mannosidosis Condition and Symptoms
Alpha mannosidosis is a rare progressive disorder that is caused by a lack of activity of the enzyme alpha-D-mannosidase. The disorder is inherited in an autosomal recessive genetic pattern. Both parents of a child can each carry a defective copy of the gene without showing any symptoms of the disorder. If the child inherits a copy from each parent, then the disorder is inherited and alpha mannosidosis occurs.
When a child is born with alpha mannosidosis, the defective a-mannosidase enzyme cannot break down complex sugars that come from glycoproteins in the lysosome. This results in a build-up of sugar in the blood which results in an impairment of cell functions.
There are different severities of alpha mannosidosis and the disease is categorized into three types including Type I, Type II and Type III. In some cases the functional enzyme is completely absent (Type III), which leads to death during early childhood. In other cases, enzymes with low activity lead to milder symptoms such as reduced hearing, mental impairment, impaired immune system and skeletal deformities.
Alpha-mannosidosis is caused by a mutation in the MAN2B1 gene. This defective gene can be inherited from both parents even if the parents show no signs of having the disorder. This is because each parent typically carries only one copy of the mutated gene, yet the child inherits one copy from each parent, resulting in two copies of the gene mutation.
This gene is responsible for making the enzyme alpha mannosidase, which works to digest and recycle materials in the cells of the body. When the enzyme doesn’t work properly (as in the case of alpha mannosidosis), the materials cannot be recycled and they build up in the blood.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Alpha Mannosidosis
If your child is suffering from alpha mannosidosis, you have a right to file for Social Security Disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. This condition is one of the few conditions that qualify an applicant for processing under the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances guidelines, which means your child may be approved for benefits in a matter of weeks rather than months or years. It is important to note, however, that just because your child has received such a diagnosis, that does not automatically guarantee an approval of your Social Security Disability application.
In order to ensure that the application process goes as smoothly as possible and that you obtain benefits quickly, you will want to make sure that your application is filled out properly and that you submit the required medical documentation in order to support your claim. Failure to do so may result in a denial of your child’s Social Security Disability claim, which will result in the need for a disability appeal. A disability appeal based on a Compassionate Allowances claim is given a higher priority than the other appeals in the system, but it is best to avoid the appeal process in all ways possible.
Alpha Mannosidosis and Your Social Security Disability Case
If you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits for a child who has been diagnosed with alpha mannosidosis, you should consider retaining the services of a Social Security Disability lawyer in your area. When you work with a disability attorney, he or she can ensure that your Social Security Disability claim forms are filled out properly, that you have provided enough medical evidence and that the SSA understands the severity of your child’s Social Security Disability claim. This will help ensure that the claim is indeed processed according to the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances guidelines.
If, for some reason, your initial claim is denied a Social Security Disability attorney will ensure that the SSA processes your appeal according to the Compassionate Allowances rules, giving your case priority over the other cases that are not based on a Compassionate Allowances listing. This will result in a faster appeal outcome.