Disability Determination Services (DDS) and Social Security Disability Claims

The Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews hundreds of thousands of disability applications each year. To help manage that workload, Social Security relies on state agencies that are usually called Disability Determination Services (DDS), and they're an integral part of the disability determination process.

Your state DDS office's main role is to decide whether your medical records show that you meet Social Security's definition of disability. Every state has its own DDS office, but all follow the SSA's rules.

This article explains what DDS does, how it works with Social Security, and where it fits into the disability claims process.

What Is Disability Determination Services?

Disability Determination Services are state agencies funded by the federal government through the Social Security Administration. State DDS agencies make the initial medical decisions on who qualifies for Social Security disability benefits.

Every state has a DDS agency, but some states call their agencies by slightly different names:

• Florida and New York have Divisions of Disability Determinations (DDD)
• Nevada has the Bureau of Disability Adjudication (BDA)
• Pennsylvania calls the agency the Bureau of Disability Determination (BDD), and
• California uses Disability Determination Services Division (DDSD).

Whatever your state calls it, DDS is the Social Security disability determination office that sends you all notices and decisions on your initial disability application. DDS also handles the first level of appeal, known as the reconsideration review.

A DDS office typically has a team of claims examiners who review disability applications, along with medical and psychological consultants who help the examiners determine whether a claim meets Social Security's disability requirements. At the initial application stage, a single claims examiner usually handles your case, with support from a medical consultant as needed.

DDS vs. SSA: Who Does What?

Your state Disability Determination Services office handles the medical part of your disability claim. DDS will:

• gather your medical records
• review your information, and
• decide whether your health condition meets Social Security's definition of disability.

If DDS needs more details to make a medical determination, the claims examiner might ask you for updated records or schedule a consultative medical exam.

The Social Security Administration takes care of the rest. The SSA handles all of the non-medical aspects of your disability claim, including:

• accepting your application
• checking your non-medical eligibility, such as:
• work history for SSDI, or
• income limit for SSI, and
• sending the final decision letter.

If you appeal beyond reconsideration, the next decision is made by an administrative law judge at Social Security's hearings office—not by DDS.

How Do Disability Determination Services Work?

Most disability applications are initially processed through a network of local Social Security field offices. When you first apply for disability benefits—whether you file online, in person, or by phone—your claim will be reviewed by a representative in a Social Security field office. The representative will make sure that you meet the technical (non-medical) requirements for benefits before sending your claim to your state DDS office.

When your claim reaches DDS, the agency will obtain your medical records using the information you provided about where you're getting treatment for your condition. Then, a claims examiner—together with a medical consultant—will review your application and medical records to decide whether you're disabled. (Learn more about the medical review that happens at DDS.)

Sometimes, DDS doesn't have enough information after reviewing your records to decide whether you're disabled. In those cases, you might receive:

• a request for additional medical information, or
• a notice to attend a consultative examination (CE).

A CE is a short doctor's visit, usually less than an hour, that DDS arranges and pays for. The doctor will perform only the specific physical or mental assessments requested by DDS and report back with an opinion on your limitations.

What Does the Entire Disability Determination Process Look Like?

For most Social Security disability claims, the disability determination process typically involves three stages of review:

• initial application
• reconsideration, and
• the appeal hearing.

If your initial application is denied, you can ask for a different DDS claims examiner to review your file and hopefully come to a different conclusion (a process called reconsideration). Because DDS is a state agency, approval rates at the initial application and reconsideration stages differ from state to state. You can check the "State DDS Approval Rates" chart below to see how your state compares.

DDS handles your claim at the initial and reconsideration levels. If you're found disabled at either stage, DDS returns your claim to your Social Security field office. There, a field representative calculates your benefit amount and begins your payments.

If your claim is denied after reconsideration, you can request a hearing in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ). At the hearing level, your application is no longer handled by your state DDS, but instead is processed by Social Security's hearings office.

Approval Rates for Each State's DDS Office

Here are the approval rates for 2024, the most recent available, for initial applications and reconsiderations handled by each DDS agency. The numbers below represent the percentage of applications that were approved at each level.

Source: Social Security Fiscal Year 2024 Allowance Rates

What Kind of Benefits Do Disability Determination Services Approve?

All state DDS agencies review and make medical decisions for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the two main types of Social Security disability benefits. Your DDS office might also determine eligibility for Medicaid or any additional benefits offered by your state.

For example, Washington State's DDS also reviews applications for Medicaid‑style assistance (the "Non‑Grant Medical Assistance" program) for disabled or blind residents. And in North Carolina, the state DDS evaluates disability for both SSA benefits and its state‑level Medicaid‑disability program

Because DDS is directly involved in reviewing your medical information, there are times when you might need to contact the office yourself. You should contact your DDS office if you've been asked to schedule a medical exam or if you need to provide updated medical information. And you can contact DDS if you want to check the status of your disability case during the initial review or reconsideration.

You can find the name and contact information for your state's disability agency by visiting our state-specific disability information pages.