Does Lung Cancer Qualify for Disability? How to Get Benefits

Important: We updated this article in September 2024 after fact checking against current Social Security policy and approval data. One of the deadliest and most common types of cancer is one that affects people’s lungs. But does lung cancer qualify for disability payments from the Social Security Administration? Depending on your specific cancer diagnosis and symptoms, it’s very likely – and you may get approved faster than most people. Learn exactly how this type of financial support works, who can qualify, how to apply, and average pay amounts below.

Social Security Disability Benefits for Lung Cancer: Key Takeaways

• Lung cancer occurs when cells divide and multiply in the lungs at an abnormal rate.
• There are two different lung cancers: non-small cell carcinoma and small cell. Small cell is the most aggressive of the two and appears in the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowance List.
• Social Security disability for lung cancer approval is automatic for small cell lung cancer patients with enough work history. You must also be unable to work for 12+ months and have individual monthly income below this year’s limit.
• According to the American Cancer Society, smoking causes 80% of cases. However, a small number of people who never smoked will eventually become lung cancer patients.
• Because it’s often advanced when doctors diagnose it, in many cases, the cancer has spread beyond the lungs already. The doctor may call refer to these extra places where those cancer cells appear as “metastatic tumors.”
• Symptoms like fatigue, chronic bronchitis, bone pain, and constant coughing can make holding down a job impossible.

What Is Lung Cancer?

Lung cancer occurs when cells divide and multiply at an unusually fast rate in your lungs.

There are two types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer grows quickly and is therefore the more aggressive of the two. There are three types of non-small cell lung cancer: Squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer.

Estimates show that 1 in 16 people will develop lung cancer at some point in their life. If we break it down by gender, the estimates are 1 in 16 men and 1 in 17 women. Experts believe that 238,340 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. Lung cancer is also the number one cause of cancer death worldwide, killing 3x more men than prostate cancer and three times more women than breast cancer every year.

Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 and older. However, about 10% of lung cancer cases occur in people younger than 50. It is not unheard of – though it’s rare – for anyone younger than 40 to receive this diagnosis.

Part of this might be that lung cancer is often undetected until it is advanced. 

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, and your chances increase the longer that you smoke. Secondhand smoke can also be a factor, as can radon and exposure to other toxins like asbestos and coal dust.

Family history can also be a contributing factor, and there are some people with lung cancer who have never smoked or been exposed to large amounts of secondhand smoke or other toxins.

Lung Cancer Symptoms That Can Limit Your Ability to Work

Because doctors often only detect lung cancer once it’s advanced, you might miss a lot of early symptoms, such as:

• Shortness of breath
• Chronic cough
• Chest pain
• Hoarseness
• Weight loss
• Headaches
• Bone pain

Depending on the stage and severity of your disease at the time of your diagnosis, a doctor can recommend various cancer treatments. These may include:

• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted drug therapy
• Immunotherapy (a treatment that uses your own immune system to fight growing cancer cells)
• An intense form of radiation therapy called stereotactic body radiotherapy
• Surgery

Despite the treatments available, survival rates for lung cancer are low. For most lung cancer patients, the two-year survival rate is less than 2%.

Does Lung Cancer Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits?

First, it’s important to remember that your medical condition alone isn’t enough to qualify for Social Security disability. To get disability for lung cancer, you must:

• Have a qualifying disability or medical condition that keeps you from working for at least 12 months. Terminal illnesses also often qualify for this reason.
• Have enough and recent job history where you paid Social Security taxes while working; and
• Make less than the Substantial Gainful Activity amount currently set by the Social Security Administration, which is $1,550 per month. If you are blind, that amount increases to $2,590.

If you meet all three conditions, you may potentially qualify for lung cancer disability benefits. If you meet all three conditions and have small cell lung cancer, the SSA will automatically approve your disability claim.

For non-small cell lung cancer, you must submit additional medical records showing it makes you unable to work for at least one year.

Important: If you cannot meet the above employment requirements, you may still be eligible for Supplemental Security Income. Scroll down to learn more about those types of disability benefits below.

Because doctors almost always diagnose lung cancer in later stages, your type may appear on the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances List. This list of exceptions was created to help people with the most severe medical conditions get paid quicker. Small cell lung cancer is on the Compassionate Allowances List. This means that the waiting period to receive your first benefit payment is usually much shorter.

How the Social Security Administration Evaluates Lung Cancer Disability Claims

The Social Security Administration lists lung cancer in section 13.14 of its Blue Book. The medical evaluation criteria for approval of disability for lung cancer includes:

• Small cell lung cancer, which it fast-tracks for approval under the Compassionate Allowance program.
• Non-small cell lung cancer that already progressed into your lymph nodes, or which your doctor cannot treat with surgery. If lymph node surgery is possible, then this kind of lung cancer still qualifies for disability payments.
• Cancer at the top of your lungs, which is called the superior sulcus. If you’ve already had one type of cancer treatment – either radiation therapy or chemotherapy – then they’ll award you at least 18 months of benefits.

Medical Evidence That Best Supports Your Case

The Social Security Administration will require all medical records related to your lung cancer diagnosis. The best medical evidence to submit along with your application likely includes the following:

• Initial date of your lung cancer diagnosis
• Doctors’ notes showing your medical care and progress during your cancer treatments
• Test results, such as biopsy, bloodwork, and tissue samples from your lungs and nearby lymph nodes (if you’ve already had surgery)
• Pathology report and x-rays, if you have them
• A Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) form your doctor signed and completed for you
• Date your disability began (this is the day you had to quit working for health reasons, unless your diagnosis date is earlier than that)

Your doctors’ notes should include how the symptoms of your lung cancer prevent you from working. Can you not handle physical activity because you are short of breath and have a chronic cough? Can you not lift objects because of chronic pain? Do you have severe headaches? Notes specific to your symptoms help present a full picture of how your diagnosis specifically prevents you from working.

How to File Your Disability Benefits Claim

There are several ways to file a Social Security disability application on your own:

• You can do so online at SSA.gov. Important: This only applies to people filing claims for SSDI benefits. You may only apply for SSI disability in person, by phone, or through an attorney.
• Call 1-800-772-1213 Monday through Friday, 8am-7pm to apply by phone.
• Apply in person at your local SSA office.

You may also choose to file through a local disability lawyer free of charge, which dramatically increases your success odds.

How Much Does Social Security Disability Insurance Pay for Lung Cancer?

The maximum monthly amount of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in 2024 is $3,822. The average payment, however, is much less: $1,537 per month.

SSDI Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for SSDI benefits, generally, you must:

• Have at least 40 Social Security work credits if you’re more than 30 years old when you apply. You can earn up to four credits each year from working full time while paying Social Security taxes. Younger workers who pay a Social Security tax while working can potentially qualify for Social Security disability with fewer credits. Learn more about work credits here.
• Not currently receive any other Social Security benefits, like early or regular retirement. This is because you can only receive one Social Security payment based on the same work record.
• Have an official doctor’s diagnosis for a medical condition that specifically stops you from working for 12 months in a row. If you’re still working when you apply, then the SSA will automatically reject your application for benefits.

How Much Does a Successful Disability Claim for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Pay Each Month?

The other federally run benefits program is called Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which has no work history requirement. If your application succeeds, you could be eligible for up to $943 each month if you are a single eligible person. Eligible couples, however, can get no more than $1,415.

Eligibility Rules for SSI Disability Benefits

To qualify for SSI you must have very low or no income, few financial assets, and one or more of the following must apply:

• At least 65 years old (in order to qualify based on your age)
• Blind (you can be born blind and still qualify for SSI)
• Disabled (this status applies to children and adults without recent or enough work history)

Unlike qualifying for Social Security disability benefits, SSI does not look at your employment history. Instead, the Social Security Administration will evaluate income and financial assets for everyone who lives in your home.

You May Qualify for Free Lung Cancer Disability Claim Help

Government data shows people who work with an experienced attorney to file for disability are 3x more likely to get payments. Further, those payments typically begin within 6 months after you apply vs. 2-3 years when filing on your own. An attorney can advise on whether your particular lung cancer diagnosis meets the SSA’s strict definition of disability. In addition, they’re familiar with the process and can guide you on the right medical evidence and documents that best support your case.

Want to know your chances for approval before you start the application process? Or maybe learn what types of disability benefits you’re eligible for that you may not know about?

We can connect you with a nearby Social Security attorney for a free consultation to discuss all your options. Our website has helped more than one million disabled people get free claim help since 2012. It’s fast, easy, and can help you make an informed decision about which steps to take next.

All disability lawyers work on contingency. That means you pay $0 if the SSA rejects your disability application. But if you’re successful, then you only owe one small fee.

Interested in a free, private case evaluation where you can get expert answers to all your questions? Click the button below now to start your free online disability benefits quiz and see if you may qualify:

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