Remember not to say anything that could hurt your chances of obtaining Social Security disability benefits, and instead, keep any conversations with the SSA or DDS limited to the status of your case. Thank you, glad it all finally worked out for you! Cookies help us deliver our Services. It's actually quite tough to be approved for both SSI and SSDI at the same time. Initially, these are the people involved in the determination of eligibility process where you SSDI claim is concerned. Is there a set amount of time the claim will stay at this level? Ask a church or charity for help, start a go fund me, ask family and friends for help, but get into someone better than the government is willing to pay for for a full assessment and get it in. Most of the time, this is unavoidable, but some situations can be helped by simply knowing a few facts. help! Would they contact me if they were missing information from my doctors? A DE or Disability Examiner is the person that this responsibility falls on the shoulders of. 2/3 of all initial disability applications get denied. However, it is still worth it to check on the status of your case at least once after you file a request for hearing to make sure the SSA hasn't lost your appeal paperwork. Instead, make a status call on a hearing request to the hearing office itself. Your application status shows: Typically, the person who answers the phone will ask you for your Social Security number and then connect you with your claims examiner, who can quickly tell you whether or not your case is pending. Archived. If your claim is still pending, ask if there is any way you can help move the process forward. Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use, Supplemental Terms, Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. ... Just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing for the greater good. When you appeal, if you didn't previously see that slightly higher qualified specialist, do so now, by any means necessary. Disability Determination Services Processing Times (A-07-15-15037) 1 B ACKGROUND We are issuing this report to convey information related to State disability determination services (DDS) with Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 average processing times for initial disability claims that were outside the typical range of DDS processing times. If your claim is denied, don’t give up—the majority of claims are denied based on the initial application, especially for those who file on their own. Disability Determination - Step 2. Most Social Security disability claims are initially processed through a network of local Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices and State agencies (usually called Disability Determination … Close. It takes Disability Determination Services (DDS), the state agency that makes the initial disability determination, about three to four months to decide an initial … Side note: if you can, when they send you to their specialist, book your own appt. Social Security Disability Status for Initial Application or Reconsideration. Created on: Oct 21 2014. Here are some other ways to check the status of your case, depending on what stage your application is at. If a pending issue is cleared and you are then allowed regular benefits, you will be … Disability Claims Process Video Series. Initial Application or Reconsideration (First Appeal) For cases pending at the initial claim level (after you filed the application) and the reconsideration level (after you filed a first-level appeal), it is often more productive for you to speak directly with the disability examiner who is evaluating your claim. Thank you for your help! Mine took about 5 years first application to approval, but that was because twice they lied and said I had to start over because I moved. Another way that checking on the status of your Social Security Disability claim can be helpful is by helping you know if the SSA has everything it needs in order to make a disability determination. Hello, I filed for SSDI and my claim is in the Disability Determination Pending status. A claims rep can usually provide a general update on your case, as to where it is in the process, but will not be able to give you much detail on when a decision will be handed down or whether there are any obstacles holding it up. Decomposing broad disability trends requires identification of those bases and the step… It can take a while. I tell my clients it takes approximately 3-5 months to get a medical decision after an application was filed, but it can vary. Posted on Mar 14, 2018. The DE normally works hand in hand with a Medical Consultant when reviewing your case. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Disability Determination Services Once the application summary is returned, your claim will be assigned to a Disability Determination Services (DDS) examiner. Once we make a determination or if more information is needed, we will contact you. Disability Determination Pending. It means they are reviewing and/or gathering your medical evidence so that they can make a decision as to whether you are disabled. You'll need the confirmation/number password given to you by the Social Security Administration). I have not heard from the adjudicator beyond a daily activity form for me and one for my spouse. You didn't state when it went into that status. If you are denied regular unemployment benefits, you may be eligible for PUA. It could be 1 month or beyond. It means they've made a decision and it has been randomly selected for a quality review. Disability insurance is intended to replace income lost due to a medical disability. Once you have submitted your initial application online and your local Social Security office has verified all non-medical requirements, your disability claim will be assigned to a specific adjudicator, or examiner, within … If they need additional information or evidence from you, they will contact you directly. There's no set time for them to review. The claim is at the intial level. If your case is at the hearing level, it will probably not be productive to contact the Social Security office where you filed your claim to check the status of your hearing request. Currently pending applications will necessarily have a final decision time longer than the average, meaning the annual averages will get higher as those decisions come in. When you apply for disability benefits with the Social Security Administration, you may be advised by the state Disability Determinations Section (DDSs) that a "consultative examination" is required.The DDSs are state agencies, funded by the federal government, that review a disability claimant's medical evidence and determine whether the claimant is disabled. SSA’s Disability Determination and Appeals Process The Social Security Administration employs roughly 60,000 federal workers and 13,000 state workers and has a $12 billion annual operating budget. Your representative should periodically check the status of your case for you, both for the purpose of staying up-to-date on the case and also to avoid missing deadlines. But be prepared to be declined initially. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. Under the disability determination process used by the Social Security Administration (SSA), each determination that an applicant is either eligible (allowed) or ineligible (denied)—under Disability Insurance (DI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—has a specific regulatory basis that is cited by program administrators. My disability claim has disable pending online what does this mean. 1. You might have to appeal more than once. When you call the DDS, state that you are calling for the status of your case. It has been in that status for a month. The Division of Disability Determinations is responsible for making the determination of medical eligibility for Florida citizens who apply for disability benefits under the federal Social Security Administration disability programs (Social Security Disability-Title II and Supplemental Security Income-Title XVI), and under the state Medically Needy program. If an individual is working at the SGA limit or above, their disability claim will be denied prior to being sent for a disability medical … When your disability claim reaches the state agency (DDS, disability determination services), it will be assigned to a disability examiner for development. First, realize from the getgo that you will most likely need to file an appeal before your case can be won, and the appeals … Step 1 - Social Security must determine if an individual is working and if they are still working are the working at the SGA limit or over. This is who will make your initial decision based on your medical records, questionnaires they may send you, and/or consultative examinations (CEs) they schedule. Disability Determination Pending The Disability Determination Service for your state is processing the medical portion of your benefit application. 2. DDS makes the initial determination for each Social Security disability … They'll contact you if they need anything else or if you have to see their specialist, and get back to you in several months to a year or so. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The number of pending initial claims for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits has been backlogged for some years, but with the record setting 230,000 new applications for SSD received by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in May 2012, the wait time for reviews to be completed and eligibility determinations to be made is expected to increase significantly. This coverage may be purchased by individuals on their own “individual policy,” or provided as a benefit by employers at no or low cost to employees “group policy.” Income replacement … For cases pending at the initial claim level (after you filed the application) and the reconsideration level (after you filed a first-level appeal), it is often more productive for you to speak directly with the disability examiner who is evaluating your claim. This is neither good nor bad. Under the proposal, which is expected to be implemented in 2020, some recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance would have to more regularly prove that … This is because the hearing office functions independently and autonomously from Social Security. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. Disability Evaluation Under Social Security. At that point, if denied, you need to appeal, and get a lawyer, and it takes another few months to a year for each appeal. Depending on where you are at in the process, you may want to contact your "disability examiner" at Disability Determination Services (DDS) or possibly the ODAR (hearing office). SGA or substantial gainful activity is a monetary amount of earnings the Social Security sets each year as a self-supporting wage amount. Having said that, if your lawyer or disability representative can't give you an update and you haven't heard anything in a while, you should protect yourself by also checking on your case yourself every month or so. In fact, most Social Security disability hearing offices are so backlogged with cases that it takes over a year, or more, to get an administrative law judge hearing. This can prevent problems with their specialist being poorly informed or dismissive of subjective symptom reports. You can find phone numbers to the many regional hearing offices on OHO's website at www.ssa.gov/appeals/ho_locator.html. Use the work attempt as a way to build evidence in your case - In most hearings, an important question that an ALJ will seek to answer is why you left your employment.As an attorney, this can be challenging as the ALJ will often be skeptical about a claimant’s story. But I would call and check up with your worker every now and then to see if they need anything. Disability Determination Services (DDS) office or the Disability Adjudication Services (DAS) office 30 days after you have completed your application. There is at least one DDS office in each state; find your state article for a list of the DDS offices in all states. Disability Determination Pending. Disability Home . By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. 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