How TERI Helps Terminally Ill People Get SSDI Quickly

 Posted on February 21, 2025 in Social Security Disability

When you have been diagnosed with an end-stage illness, you should be free to focus on enjoying every moment you can. The last thing you should be worried about is how you will cover the cost of living. Some people prefer to keep working as long as possible to maintain a sense of normalcy. Others have already been too sick to work for some time before receiving a diagnosis and cannot wait any longer for disability benefits. When someone with a terminal diagnosis applies for SSDI, his or her application can be flagged as a TERI case and sent for expedited processing. Your application should be treated with urgency at every stage in the SSA’s disability determination process. This should mean that you can start receiving disability payments quickly.

A compassionate Dallas, TX SSDI lawyer can help you through the application process and advocate on your behalf. Trying to go through the TERI application process alone can be strenuous, especially if your illness is progressing rapidly. A lawyer can help make sure things go as smoothly as possible.

When an SSDI Application is Flagged as a TERI Case 

The SSA considers an illness terminal if it cannot be treated or reversed and is expected to end in the applicant passing away. You can explicitly allege in your application that you have a terminal illness, which should result in your application being automatically flagged. An experienced SSDI attorney will know how to word your application to ensure that you are designated a TERI case and offered faster processing.

The SSA will also automatically flag some applications as TERI cases, even if the applicant does not specifically state that he or she is terminally ill. An application can be treated as a TERI case if the applicant has one of a few conditions the SSA automatically considers terminal, such as Lou Gehrig's Disease, AIDS, or certain types of late-stage cancer.  

How Long Does a TERI Case Take? 

Applicants with chronic conditions can expect to wait seven months to several years to start receiving benefits. TERI applicants can often start receiving SSDI payments in as little as a few weeks. The SSA understands that applicants with terminal diagnoses cannot wait for a decision and need benefits now and does its best to process these applications quickly. TERI cases are also less likely to result in an initial denial, as there is generally very clear evidence that the applicant is unable to work.

Contact a Dallas, TX SSDI Attorney 

The Law Offices of Coats & Todd is dedicated to helping people who are facing a terminal illness start receiving benefits quickly. Our caring Dallas County, TX SSDI TERI lawyers will do all we can to ensure that you will have the resources you need. Contact us at 972-671-9922 for a complimentary consultation.