Filing for Social Security Disability in Kentucky

Social Security disability benefits and SSI are available in Kentucky through the Social Security Administration. While the application process is similar throughout the nation, there are slight variations in Kentucky with regards to approval and denial rates, the monthly SSI payments available, and vocational rehabilitation services. Below are specifics about Social Security disability benefits in Kentucky.

Disability Benefits Statistics for Kentucky

In Kentucky, the approval rate at the initial application step and the reconsideration step (the first level of appeal) are below the national average, with only 29% of those from Kentucky being approved at the initial application step (meaning 71% of applications from Kentucky are initially denied) and 8% being approved at the reconsideration step. For comparison, the national average is 35% approval at the initial step and 13% approval at the reconsideration step.

At the disability hearing stage, where an administrative law judge hears the appeal, Kentucky has a slightly higher approval rate than the national average. The approval rate is 50% in Kentucky compared to 46% nationally. The wait times in Kentucky for a hearing are up to 16 months.

Disability Determination Services in Kentucky

After the initial application is filed with your local Social Security office and a field representative determines you are technically eligible for disability benefits, your application is sent to Disability Determination Services (DDS), a Kentucky state agency. A claims examiner at the DDS office will then make a decision regarding your application based on the medical disability standards. Kentucky was one of the 20 states that tested a "Single Decision-Maker" model, where DDS claims examiners could make a decision on your application without your case being reviewed by a medical consultant (doctor), but that program ended in 2018.

After your application is filed, direct questions to your closest DDS office. Here is the contact information for both of the DDS offices in Kentucky.

Louisville Office
P.O. Box 1061
Louisville, KY 40201
Telephone: (800) 928-3202

Frankfort Office
P.O. Box 1000
275 East Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
Telephone: (502) 564-8050

Kentucky Offices of Hearings Operations

The Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) is the office that handles disability hearings (this office was formerly called the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, or ODAR). There are four local OHO headquarters spread throughout the state of Kentucky where hearings are held. Contact information for all relevant OHO offices are found below, as well as the field offices that are covered by each OHO headquarters.

Lexington OHO
Suite 210
2241 Buena Vista Road
Lexington, KY 40505
Telephone: (866) 783-7301

This OHO covers the Social Security field offices in Campbellsville, Danville, Frankfort, Hazard, Jackson, Lexington, Maysville, and Richmond.

Louisville OHO
Gene Snyder U.S. Courthouse
601 W. Broadway, Suite 300
Louisville, KY 40202
Telephone: (866) 755-0197

This OHO covers the field offices in Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Louisville Downtown, and Louisville East.

Middlesboro OHO
12 Tech Park Drive
Middlesboro, KY 40965
Telephone: (877) 600-2851

This OHO covers the field offices in Corbin, Harlan, Middlesboro, and Somerset.

Paducah OHO
4730 Village Square Drive, Suite 200
Paducah, KY 42001
Telephone: (866) 964-2041

This OHO covers the field offices in Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Mayfield, Owensboro, and Paducah.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services in Kentucky

After individuals become disabled, they often need help to prepare to return to work, obtain a job, and successfully maintain a job. In Kentucky, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) provides such services to individuals who are disabled. The OVR has over 50 offices spread throughout the state. You can find your local OVR office three ways: by telephone, by visiting the OVR website, or by contacting the Central Office.

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Central Office
Telephone: (800) 372-7172
Cabinet of Human Resources Building
275 East Main Street
Mail Stop 2E-K
Frankfort, KY 40621

Kentucky's State Supplemental Payment

Kentucky adds money to the federal SSI disability payment in some cases. SSI is a federal program, but individual states may choose to pay residents additional monthly income. In Kentucky, the state contributes additional monthly payments when an SSI recipient is living in a personal care home (PCH) or a family care home (FCH), or has a caretaker in the home; the additional payment is to pay for room and board or at-home services. To receive a payment for a PCH or FCH, the individual must be live in a PCH or FCH licensed by the Certificate of Need and Licensure Board. Below are the monthly payments for those individuals in Kentucky.

• Personal Care Home (PCH): $1,291 for an individual
• Family Care Home (FCH): $943 for an individual
• Caretaker in Home: $833 for an individual; $1,272 for a couple (both receiving care)

The above amounts include the federal monthly payments (in 2019, $771 for an individual and $1,157) for a couple. Any other income you have may decrease these monthly figures.

The Kentucky State Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Community Based Services, Division of Family Support, administers this state supplementation.

Finding a Disability Lawyer in Kentucky

If you need assistance with your disability claim or appeal, visit our Kentucky disability lawyers' page to find a local attorney who can help you.