Filing for Disability in Minnesota

If you live in Minnesota and are unable to work due to illness or injury, you may be considering applying for Social Security disability benefits. These are federal benefits, but there is some information specific to applying for Social Security in Minnesota that you should know.

Filing for Disability in Minnesota

There are multiple ways you can apply for Social Security disability in Minnesota. You can:

• Apply in person at a Social Security Administration (SSA) field office (the SSA's office locator can help you find the Social Security office location closest to you).
• Telephone the SSA's customer service line at (800)772-1213. You can make an appointment to apply for disability in person or via telephone.
• Go to the SSA's website to apply for SSDI online (note that most SSI applications can't be completed online.)

Appealing a Denial of Benefits in Minnesota

Approximately three or four months after you apply for disability in Minnesota, you'll be notified via mail whether you have been approved for benefits or if your claim has been denied. Only 38% of Minnesota's disability applicants are approved after their initial application is reviewed. If you are among those denied benefits, you can appeal this decision.

Request for Reconsideration

The first appeal in Minnesota is called a "Request for Reconsideration." You have 60 days from the date you receive your disability denial letter to submit the "Request for Reconsideration" form to the SSA. It will take an average of one to two months for your reconsideration decision to be made. In Minnesota, 11% of disability claims are approved upon reconsideration.

Minnesota Disability Hearings

If your reconsideration results in a second disability denial, you can then request a hearing in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ). In Minnesota, the average wait between the date a disability hearing is requested and when it takes place is 13 months. You'll be notified of the judge's decision within 30 days of your hearing. Around 53% of Minnesota Social Security disability hearings result in the claimant being awarded benefits.

Minnesota SSI Supplement

If you receive SSI and live in Minnesota, you could be eligible for an additional monthly payment from the State of Minnesota. The amount of this supplement, which is called Minnesota Supplemental Aid, or MSA, varies depending on your living arrangements. An SSI recipient in Minnesota who lives independently would receive an MSA supplement of $81. A couple who received SSI who lives independently would get a $111 MSA supplement. If a person resides in a care setting, the amount would be $72.

Minnesota's Welfare and Human Services Agencies administers these payments under the Minnesota Supplemental Aid Program and the Group Residential Housing Program.

Minnesota's Disability Determination Office

Minnesota Disability Determination Services (DDS) is the state agency responsible for making decisions on Minnesota Social Security disability claims. DDS is operated by the Minnesota Department of Economic Security. At the Minnesota DDS, claims adjudicators work with medical professionals to determine whether disability applicants are eligible for benefits. Here is the agency's contact information.

Minnesota Disability Determination Services
85 7^th Place East, Ste. 160
Saint Paul, MN, 55101
Tel: (651) 259-7700
Fax: (651) 259-7884

Minnesota's Hearing Office

Social Security disability hearings for Minnesota residents are held at the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) in Minneapolis. (This office was formerly called the Office of Disability Adjudication & Review, or ODAR.) Contact information for the Minneapolis OHO is below.

Office of Hearings Operations
250 Marquette Ave., Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Tel: (877) 512-3856
Fax: (612) 348-1255

Minneapolis Vocational Rehabilitation

Disabled workers in Minnesota can consult the Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services Unit to access a variety of programs designed to help those with disabilities return to and sustain employment. The Minnesota VRS can be reached at 800-328-9095 or [email protected]. More information regarding VRS programs is available also on the VRS website.

Getting Help With Your Disability Claim

Many disability applicants are overwhelmed with the process of applying for Social Security disability benefits and navigating the SSDI appeals process. An experienced Minnesota disability lawyer can greatly increase your chances of getting disability, and can be especially helpful if your disability claim has already been denied. Our lawyer locator tool below can assist you in finding a skilled disability attorney near you.