Disability Benefits for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or "ALS" (commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) is a serious degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. ALS is in a category of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which cause deterioration of the cells that control how voluntary muscles—the muscles we use to move—work.

People with ALS often first experience symptoms of muscle weakness and twitching in their hands, feet, or limbs. As the disease advances and nerve cells are destroyed, their muscles get weaker, eventually resulting in difficulty walking, speaking, swallowing, and breathing. Because the disease is generally fatal three to five years from when symptoms first appear, once you've been diagnosed with ALS, you're very likely to qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

When Does ALS Qualify for Disability?

Almost always. Because ALS is an exceptionally debilitating illness with no known cure, Social Security has placed it on the agency's Compassionate Allowance list, which can qualify you for expedited processing of your disability application. If you've submitted a diagnosis of ALS to Social Security along with good medical documentation, the agency will find that you automatically meet the requirements of the Blue Book medical listing 11.10 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

How Do I Receive Automatic Benefits for ALS?

Social Security will find you disabled as soon as the agency receives medical records that include your formal diagnosis of ALS. No single test can establish the presence of ALS, so the diagnosis must be made on the following evidence:

• doctors' notes documenting symptoms of ALS
• neurological examinations—tests of reflexes and motor function—consistent with a diagnosis of ALS
• electromyography (EMG), a recording technique that detects electrical activity of muscle fibers, and
• nerve conduction studies, which detect the ability of nerves to send electrical impulses.

Your doctor might also order blood and urine tests or a muscle biopsy in order to rule out other diseases that have similar symptoms to ALS. If your medical provider is a family physician or general practitioner, you'll likely have to see a neurologist in order to be diagnosed.

How Quickly Can I Receive Benefits for ALS?

Under the Compassionate Allowances program, your disability application will be fast-tracked due to your ALS diagnosis. You don't have to do anything additional to qualify for expedited processing—having a diagnosis of ALS will make you automatically eligible. You should receive a decision within a couple of weeks and possibly even as quickly as a few days (as opposed to the usual several months).

What Social Security Benefits Am I Eligible for With ALS?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are the two disability benefit programs provided by the Social Security Administration. While the medical definition of disability is the same for both SSDI and SSI, the programs have different preliminary eligibility requirements. SSDI eligibility is based on the amount of work credits you've accumulated through employment, while SSI is needs-based and subject to certain income and asset limitations.

If you have ALS, you can start receiving your SSDI or SSI benefits right away. (The SSDI program typically requires a five-month waiting period between approval and payment of benefits, but the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 eliminated this waiting period for people with ALS who were approved for SSDI benefits on or after July 23, 2020.)

Can I Get Medicare If I'm Awarded Disability for ALS?

Once you're approved for SSDI benefits, you're automatically enrolled in Medicare. (The normal two-year waiting period to qualify for Medicare doesn't apply for people with ALS). Social Security will deduct monthly premiums from your disability check for Medicare Part B, which helps pay for doctors' visits and home health care. You can decline Part B—although you might incur a penalty— and keep the premium if you'd prefer to be insured in a different way, such as your spouse's health care plan.

VA Benefits for Service-Connected ALS

According to the VA, studies have shown that veterans are about 1.5 times more likely to get ALS than civilians. For this reason, ALS is considered a service-connected disability for any veterans who served longer than 90 days, received an honorable discharge, and were later diagnosed with ALS. Vets with ALS are given a 100% disability rating under the Schedule for Rating Disabilities using diagnostic code 8017.

How Much Is a Disability Check for ALS?

Social Security doesn't change the amount of your disability benefits based on your medical diagnosis, and there's no extra payments offered to beneficiaries who have ALS. Instead, the exact amount you'll be paid every month depends on whether you receive SSDI or SSI benefits.

SSDI and SSI Monthly Amounts

If you qualify for SSDI, your monthly benefit rate is calculated based on your average lifetime earnings before you were diagnosed with ALS. For 2025, the maximum amount you can receive in SSDI is $4,018 per month, but the average amount is much less, at $1,580.

SSI benefits are $967 per month in 2025, minus any countable income you have for that month. Many states provide a modest SSI supplemental benefit amount, depending on your living situation.

Monthly VA Disability Compensation Amounts

VA compensation amounts are determined by a combination of your disability percentage rating and your living situation. If you have a diagnosis of ALS, you'll receive a 100% disability rating, which for an individual veteran without a spouse or children is $3,831.30 (in 2025). But if you have a spouse and one child, you'll receive $4,201.35 every month.

In addition to the basic monthly rates, veterans with ALS may be entitled to special monthly compensation depending on the degree to which they've lost functioning in their extremities, ears, or eyes.

Is it Difficult to Get Disability Benefits for ALS?

Due to the profoundly incapacitating nature of the disease and the relative rarity with which it occurs, it should not be difficult to get disability benefits for ALS. Once you apply for Social Security benefits—whether online, over the phone, or in person—and provide medical evidence of your ALS diagnosis, your application should be fast-tracked and approved quickly without the need to appeal a denial.

Likewise, your VA compensation claim should receive priority processing, although unlike with the SSA, the VA won't do it automatically. You'll need to submit VA Form 20-10207, Priority Processing Request, along with Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits. You can complete both of these forms online or print them out and bring the paper forms to your local VA office.

If, for some reason, you are denied benefits despite submitting a diagnosis of ALS and supportive medical documentation, consider contacting an experienced disability attorney. Disability lawyers work on contingency—meaning they don't get paid until you win your claim—and many offer free consultations, so there's no upfront cost to asking for help.