Offices involved with the Initial Application

What happens when you apply for Social Security Disability? Once the application is received by your local Social Security Administration (SSA) field office information such as marital status, age, address, employment, and Social Security credits are verified.

Your application is then sent to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) office. DDS is responsible for gathering medical evidence for a claim to determine whether or not an applicant is medically disabled.

Once DDS completes the medical review the case is sent back to the field office for processing. If a claimant is determined to be disabled, the SSA field office then calculates benefits, and begins payment to the approved applicant. If an applicant is denied, your social security disability lawyer will file the appeal, the request for hearing.

Barring any delays in obtaining medical information, the application process takes approximately 5 to 7 months to complete.