Home Benefits Disability Determination For Claimants

For Claimants

What is needed during the process?

Two men in hardhats, one is injured and needs the support of the other as they walk
  • You must report any changes to your address, telephone number(s), or any other personal information to SSA right away.
  • You and all parties involved with the claim should respond quickly to all letters, forms, or calls from our office. 
  • If any of the following changes occur, let us know:
    • Begin or return to work,
    • New doctor or hospital visit,
    • Additional tests, therapy, or surgery,
    • Changes in dosage, addition, or discontinuation of medication(s),
    • New conditions develop,
    • Additional current or past medical, educational, or mental health sources not listed on the application.

Contacting medical source(s):

Obtaining necessary medical records is critical to your disability claim. At times, we are unable to obtain records from all of the reported medical and non-medical sources. If additional medical information is needed to make a determination, we may request a consultative examination(s). 

To help expedite obtaining records, avoid delays in processing the claim, and assist us in making a timely and accurate determination, claimants can contact their medical source(s) to ensure medical records are submitted to SSA as soon as possible.

Forms

During the process, you may be asked to complete and submit one or more of the following forms. If you receive a form by mail, your packet will include a prepaid envelope that you will be able to use to send the completed paperwork back to us. Many forms can also be submitted electronically through your my Social Security account using the Upload Documents | SSA feature. If you have questions or need assistance, you can contact your disability analyst by phone. Your disability analyst’s phone number can be located at the end of any letter that has been sent to you by DDS. You can also contact the office that is assigned your case.

If you have questions or need assistance, you can contact your disability analyst by phone. Your disability analyst’s phone number can be located at the end of any letter that has been sent to you by DDS. You can also contact the office that is assigned your case.

FAQs

To check the status of your claim, you can create a my Social Security account here that will provide a general status of the application or you can call your assigned analyst for updates.

When your claim is pending with DDS, the disability analyst assigned to your claim is the best person to ask questions. You can locate your disability analyst’s contact information at the bottom of any letter that has been sent to you by DDS. Your analyst will have the most up-to-date information regarding your claim. Call 855-445-3938 to be connected to any of our offices and/or to your assigned disability analyst.

To request an extension on your Activities of Daily Living and/or Work History questionnaires, you will need to contact your disability analyst by phone. Your disability analyst will make the determination on whether the deadline can be extended. If an extension is given, your analyst will also provide you with a new deadline.

The time it takes to get a decision on your disability application can vary depending on the nature of your disability, how quickly we can get your medical evidence from your doctor or other medical source, whether it is necessary to send you for a medical examination, or whether we review your application for quality purposes.

The best way to help your case move quickly is to be responsive to your disability analyst when they request records or documentation to support your claim.

The Social Security Administration has more information about average processing times here.  However, to check the general status of your pending application, you can log in or create a personal my Social Security account. If your claim is pending at a Disability Determination Services and has been assigned to a disability analyst, you may also call your analyst for the status of your claim.

If you have received a letter asking you to call in, additional information is needed to process your claim.  It is important that you contact your disability analyst by phone as soon as possible to provide the requested information that is noted on the letter.

You can electronically submit certain approved forms to the Social Security Administration through your my Social Security account. Go to www.SSA.gov, select sign in, then select the Upload Documents link, and search for the document you need to submit.

Visit What is the Upload Documents application? | SSA for more information about this feature.

Many factors are considered during the determination process for disability claims.  For all claims, case-specific medical and non-medical information and details are used to determine whether or not an applicant is found disabled.

Once a final determination is made, you can contact your local Social Security or local Social Services for additional details.  If you are not satisfied with your determination, you are able to file an appeal.

You can file both medical and non-medical appeals online for SSA disability claims by visiting www.SSA.gov. Once a decision is made on your application, you will receive a letter explaining the decision. If you disagree with our decision, you can appeal. You must appeal within 60 days from the date you receive our decision letter. You will need the date of the unfavorable decision from your letter as well as any supporting documentation you wish to add. You can file appeals for Medicaid disability claims at your local Social Services office.

Others who can provide assistance during the process:

Third Parties

  • Can be a friend or family member
  • Are able to access and discuss claim information 
  • Must be listed on your application, or you must provide a third party to us verbally or in writing
  • Do not have the same legal responsibilities as representatives
  • Do not have to complete the forms listed in the resources for representatives section

Appointed Representative

Those applying for social security benefits can choose to appoint a qualified person to represent and assist them throughout the process. This service is provided by disability lawyers, legal aid groups, and nonprofits. Individuals are not required to have a representative and may handle the process themselves. However, if you are interested in finding someone qualified to assist with the process, your local social security office can help.

Appointing a Representative

Friends and family cannot serve as representatives, but you can enlist their help by making them a third party. This gives us permission to speak with them about your case.

Have another question?

If you have questions about your application for benefits, please call the analyst assigned to your case. Their contact information is (or will be) included on the letter mailed to the address on file confirming that we’ve received your application.  Your analyst will have the most up-to-date information on your claim.

If you have general questions, please contact us.

This program is managed by the Disability Determination Services division.