The Les Turner ALS Foundation has joined with 18 other ALS advocacy organizations, signing onto a letter strongly urging the Social Security Administration to honor the enactment for all those already in the waiting period.
On December 22, 2020, the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act (H.R. 1407/S. 578) was signed into law, ending the five-month waiting period for people with ALS to access Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. Following passage of the Act, the Social Security Administration informed the bill sponsors that people with medically determined ALS who are currently within the waiting period are expected to continue waiting to receive their benefits.
The five-month waiting period for SSDI benefits is cruel given the speed and severity of the disease. The purpose of this bill was to ensure no one with an ALS diagnosis is waiting for their benefits. We believe the bill’s intent is clear: beginning on the date of enactment, no one with ALS should be on a SSDI waiting list and should receive their much-needed SSDI benefits immediately upon approval.
Click here to read our letter to the Social Security Administration.
