A List of Disabilities for Disability Evaluation Under Social Security
(Blue Book- June 2011)

The Social Security Blue Book lists disabilities online.  You may link here to find them:

The Listing of Impairments is broken down into:  Adult Listings (Part A) and Childrens Listings (Part B).

Certainly, there are disabilities and combinations of disabilities that are considered which are not included in these lists.  These listed disabilities are apart and separate from Compassionate Allowance Listings.

What is a Mental Disability or What is an Intellectual Disability?

To receive Social Security disability benefits, all three of the following must be true:

  • You must have a physical or mental impairment.
  • The impairment must prevent you from doing any substantial gainful work.
  • The disability must be expected to last, or have lasted, at least 12 months, or must be expected to result in death.

The Social Security Administration maintains a list of medical conditions that are so severe they automatically mean that you are disabled (if you match the requirements for the condition). If your condition is not on the list, the Social Security Administration will have to decide if it is of equal severity to a medical condition that is listed.  If it is, the Social Security Administration will find that you are disabled.  Intellectual disabilities must have a direct impact on the ability to engage in employment.

What is Mental Impairment

What is a mental impairment?  A good starting point in understanding mental impairment and its impact on Social Security Disability or upon SSI is an understanding of the concept associated with Residual Functional Capacity (RFC).  Review the postings on this website which address RFC in terms of Mental Disorders and you can begin to understand how the SSA evaluates mental impairment.

Compassionate Allowance Listing Number 200 Now

Compassionate Allowances (CAL) are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information. Compassionate Allowances allow Social Security to target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that can be quickly obtained.

There are now 200 Compassionate Allowances conditions. These conditions involve cancers, neurological, and other rare diseases affecting adults and children and hearings continue to expand these scope of conditions included in Compassionate Allowance categories.  These are specifically listed disablities.

Compassionate Allowances is not a separate program from the Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs.