What Is DDS and How Does It Decide Your Disability Claim?

Disability Determination Services (DDS) are state agencies that work with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to decide if someone applying for disability benefits qualifies due to a disability. They assess medical evidence to determine if an applicant is eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

Here’s how DDS works:

• Application submission: Applicants file for disability benefits at a local Social Security field office.
• Initial review: The Social Security field office checks the application for basic eligibility requirements, such as sufficient work credits.
• DDS evaluation: If the application meets the initial criteria, it’s then sent to the DDS office in the applicant’s state. The DDS gathers medical evidence from doctors and other medical sources to understand the applicant’s condition, how it limits their activities, when it began and what treatments have been received. The applicant’s statements about their disability and how it affects their daily life are also considered.
• Medical examinations: If there is not enough evidence, DDS may arrange for a consultative examination (CE) with the applicant’s treating doctor or an independent source to obtain additional medical information.
• Disability determination: Trained DDS staff, including doctors and disability specialists, review all the information to make an initial decision on whether the applicant meets the SSA’s definition of disability. They will consider if the applicant can do work they’ve done in the past or any other type of work.
• Claim processing: DDS then sends the case back to the Social Security field office. If the DDS approves the application, the SSA completes the processing and begins benefit payments. If DDS denies the application, the applicant has the right to appeal the decision.

It is important to note that while DDS determines disability based on federal criteria, the SSA ultimately decides who is eligible to receive benefits.

Why Does DDS Contact You During a Disability Claim? 

The question “What is DDS?” usually comes up the moment a letter or phone call arrives from an unfamiliar state office. Don’t panic. This contact means your claim has moved beyond the Social Security field office, and a Disability Determination Services examiner has begun building your medical file. 

Depending on what your file is missing, the examiner may request records directly from your treating providers, send you a questionnaire about your daily activities, ask someone who knows you well to describe the limits they have observed, or schedule a consultative examination that SSA pays for. None of these requests means your claim is in trouble. They simply mean the examiner still has questions. 

Returning forms on time and keeping your contact information up to date gives the examiner a complete picture to work from, which protects you against a denial based on a thin file rather than your actual condition.

Take advantage of the many benefits of Social Security Disability with help from Brown & Brown to maximize your financial well-being during your period of disability.

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Apply for SSDI to take advantage of the many benefits of Social Security Disability with help from Brown & Brown to maximize your financial well-being during your period of disability. Contact us today for help in understanding the SSDI application process and navigating the world of Social Security and Medicare.