How to Get Disability Benefits in Michigan

Michigan residents who are unable to work full-time due to a medical condition for at least twelve months may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. These federal programs provide monthly cash payments to people who aren't able to engage in substantial gainful activity for one year or longer.

While SSDI and SSI are federally funded, each state has an agency dedicated to processing disability claims for that state's residents. According to the most recent data from the Social Security Administration, about 5.1% of Michigan residents receive SSDI and 2.5% receive SSI. If you live in Michigan and you're considering filing for SSDI or SSI, you should become familiar with Social Security's definition of disability, approval ratings for the state, and how to file a successful appeal if your application is denied.

How to File for Social Security Disability Benefits in Michigan

Applications for SSDI or SSI benefits are filed in the same way. (For more comprehensive details, including what personal information you should have on hand when you apply, check out our article on filing a disability claim with Social Security.) You'll need to complete Form SSA-16, which you can submit electronically, over the phone, or in person. Here's how:

• Apply online at ssa.gov. Filing online has many benefits, such as giving you the option to save your application and return to it later.
• Call Social Security's national number at 800-772-1213 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a representative. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, you can use the TTY number at 800-325-0778.
• File in person at your local Social Security field office. You can use the locator toolhere to find the office closest to you.

After you've taken the initial step of handing in your application, Social Security will make sure that you meet the technical qualifications for receiving benefits. Your file is then passed on to Michigan's Disability Determination Services, or "DDS," the state agency tasked with processing disability claims in Michigan. There, a claims examiner—with help from a medical consultant—reviews your records and decides whether you're disabled.

What Disability Program Should I Apply For?

SSDI and SSI—also referred to as Title II and Title XVI—are the two types of disability benefits provided by Social Security. Although the agency's definition of disability is the same for both programs, each benefit has its own preliminary eligibility criteria ("technical qualifications") that you must satisfy in order to legally receive payment.

For SSDI, this means having enough work credits to be insured under the program on the date you became disabled. (Work credits are earned by paying into the program through payroll or self-employment taxes.) SSI, on the other hand, is a needs-based benefit available to people with limited income and resources, regardless of work history.

You can file for both programs and let Social Security figure out which ones you qualify for, but you must be financially eligible to receive at least one of the two benefits. If you're "overresourced" for SSI and you don't have enough work credits to get SSDI, you can't receive any benefits no matter how severe your disabling symptoms are.

What Medical Conditions Qualify for Disability in Michigan?

Any severe impairment may qualify you for disability benefits, provided that you have enough medical evidence to show that you either meet a listing or are unable to work at any job. While the exact type of evidence will vary depending on your specific condition, it's key to have documentation of regular doctor's visits, objective imaging such as X-rays or MRIs, and reports from physical or mental evaluations conducted by your medical providers.

In Michigan, some of the most commonly awarded impairments are mental illnesses (such as anxiety or depression), musculoskeletal conditions (like back pain), and nervous system disorders (for example, diabetic neuropathy). The chart below illustrates the percentage of SSDI recipients in Michigan who were found disabled based on the most commonly awarded medical conditions:

_{Source: Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2023}

For the first two levels of review in the disability determination process, examiners at Michigan's DDS will decide whether you meet Social Security's medical definition of disability. If you aren't awarded benefits by a DDS examiner and you choose to appeal, then your case is sent up to a Social Security Office of Hearing Operations (OHO) to be scheduled for a hearing with a judge.

What Are My Chances of Getting Disability Benefits in Michigan?

Approximately three to five months after you file for disability, you'll receive a written decision in the mail. Individually, your chances of getting benefits are higher the stronger your medical records are. Statistically, 38.8% of disability claims in Michigan were approved at the initial application stage—about equal to the national average of 38.3%—and 15.9% were approved following reconsideration review (also around the nationwide rate).

Most claimants in Michigan aren't awarded benefits until after they've had a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ). As of the fiscal year ending July 2025, ALJs in hearing offices across Michigan issued 12,827 decisions on disability claims. 7,649 of those decisions resulted in either fully or partially favorable outcomes, resulting in an approval rate of about 59%.

How to Appeal a Michigan Disability Denial

As you can see from the above statistics, Michigan disability applicants have their best odds of winning their claims at the hearing level. So if you aren't awarded benefits at the initial determination stage you'll need to appeal, probably twice, before you get to speak to a judge. You have 60 days after receiving a denial after the reconsideration review to request a disability hearing in front of a judge at the hearing office that serves your region.

Once the OHO gets your hearing request, you'll typically have to wait a while to have your hearing date set. As of July 2025, the average waiting time for offices in Michigan are as follows:

• Detroit OHO: 8 months
• Flint OHO: 9 months
• Grand Rapids OHO: 7 months
• Lansing OHO: 6.5 months
• Livonia OHO: 7 months
• Mount Pleasant OHO: 7 months
• Oak Park OHO: 6.5 months

At your disability hearing, you'll have the chance to testify about why you're unable to work. Common questions the ALJ might ask include what tasks you performed at your old jobs, how you struggle with your activities of daily living, and what recent medical treatment you've obtained. It's likely that you'll also have a vocational expert present who can help the ALJ decide whether somebody with your functional limitations can be employed full-time.

In most cases, you'll receive the judge's written decision in the mail within 30 days of your hearing. If you receive an unfavorable decision denying you benefits, you may choose to appeal further by requesting review by the Appeals Council and, if that isn't successful, filing a suit in federal court (the U.S. District Court of Eastern Michigan or Western Michigan, depending on your jurisdiction).

Contact Information for Michigan DDS and Hearing Offices

Because disability claims at the initial and reconsideration levels are handled by examiners at Michigan DDS, you should contact that office if you have any questions, want to submit additional medical records, or simply to check the status of your claim. Once you've requested a hearing after DDS denied your claim after reconsideration, you should contact the Social Security OHO that covers your region. You can find the contact information for both DDS offices and OHOs in Michigan below.

Where Are the DDS Offices in Michigan?

There are four DDS offices in Michigan, located in Detroit, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Traverse City.

Detroit DDS Office
P.O. Box 345
Detroit, MI 48231
Phone: (800) 383-7155

Kalamazoo DDS Office
P.O. Box 4020
Kalamazoo, MI 49003
Phone: (800) 829-7763

Lansing DDS Office
P.O. Box 30011
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (800) 366-3404

Traverse City DDS Office
P.O. Box 1200
Traverse City, MI 49685
Phone: (800) 632-1097

Where Are the Social Security Hearing Offices in Michigan?

There are seven Social Security OHOs in Michigan, located in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Livonia, Mt. Pleasant, and Oak Park.

Detroit OHO
477 Michigan Avenue
Room 900
Detroit, MI 48226

Phone: (888) 748-7696
Fax: (833) 942-2185

The Detroit OHO serves the Dearborn, Detroit (Connor, Downtown, East, Grand River, Southwest), Fort Gratiot, and Wyandotte field offices.

Flint OHO
300 West Second Street
Flint, MI 48502-2047

Phone: (877) 607-9526
Fax: (833) 694-0063

The Flint OHO serves the Bay City, Flint, and Saginaw field offices.

Grand Rapids OHO
1925 Breton Road, SE
Suite 200
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Phone: (866) 613-2860
Fax: (833) 619-0613

The Grand Rapids OHO serves the Grand Rapids, Holland, Kalamazoo, and Muskegon field offices.

Lansing OHO
4202 Collins Road
Suite 200
Lansing, MI 48910

Phone: (877) 691-6144
Fax: (833) 510-0098

The Lansing OHO serves the Battle Creek, Jackson, Lansing, and Owosso field offices.

Livonia OHO
19575 Victor Parkway
3rd Floor
Livonia, MI 48152

Phone: (866) 530-7806
Fax: (833) 676-0113

The Livonia OHO serves the Ann Arbor, Detroit (Northwest), Farmington Hills, Inkster, Livonia, and Pontiac field offices.

Mount Pleasant OHO
4035 Sweeney Road
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858

Phone: (866) 873-6604
Fax: (833) 964-2265

The Mt. Pleasant OHO serves the Alpena, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Ludington, Mount Pleasant, Petoskey, Traverse City, and West Branch field offices.

Oak Park OHO
Crown Pointe Building
Suite 500
25900 Greenfield Road
Oak Park, MI 48237-1267

Phone: (877) 223-6060
Fax: (833) 302-0016

The Oak Park OHO serves the Chesterfield, Clawson, Detroit (7 Mile-Wyoming), Highland Park, Pontiac, Roseville, and Sterling Heights field offices.

How Much Does Disability Pay in Michigan?

Because SSDI and SSI are federal benefits, the amount you'll receive doesn't change from state to state. SSDI payments are particularly tailored to each beneficiary since they're calculated based on your individual earnings record, which can vary significantly between each person. The chart below shows the distribution of SSDI payments for beneficiaries in Michigan:

_{Source: Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2023}

If you haven't worked long enough or recently enough to qualify for SSDI, you could still be eligible to receive SSI if you have very limited income and assets. While SSI amounts are set every year by the federal benefit rate ($967 per month in 2025 for individuals), Michigan SSI beneficiaries may be eligible for a modest supplemental payment from the state.

The exact amount of the supplement depends on your living arrangements. If you're living by yourself, you can get an extra $14 per month, but if you're living in somebody else's household, you can receive only $9.33 in supplemental benefits. Couples can receive $21 extra per month if they're living independently or $13.98 if they're living in the household of another person.

Michigan Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Veterans' Benefits

Disabled Michigan residents who are interested in returning to work can get help from Michigan Rehabilitation Services, a part of the Labor and Economic Opportunity Department. The agency partners with numerous other organizations to help people with disabilities find and maintain regular employment.

Michigan veterans who have a service-connected medical condition probably know that they can get a disability rating from the VA, but many veterans aren't as aware of the additional benefits provided by the state of Michigan. These benefits can include reduced tuition for qualifying educational programs, veterans' hiring incentives, and housing assistance for disabled vets. To learn more, visit the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

How Do I Get Help With My Michigan Social Security Disability Claim?

It's easy to become overwhelmed with the disability application and appeals process. DDS doesn't approve most claims either at the initial level or on reconsideration, and if you're appealing an unfavorable decision from an ALJ, chances are slim that the Appeals Council will find that the judge made a legal mistake that could change the outcome of your case.

While you aren't obligated to hire an attorney in order to get benefits, it's often a smart idea. Your chances of winning an appeal are much higher if you're represented by a lawyer or advocate with experience in Social Security disability, and you'll need an attorney if you decide to take your claim to federal court. Disability lawyers typically work on contingency—meaning they don't get paid unless you win your case—so there's little upfront cost to hiring one.