Filing for Social Security Disability in Nebraska

If you live in Nebraska and can't work for at least a year, you could be eligible for Social Security disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The average SSDI payment in Nebraska is $1,486 and the average SSI payment in Nebraska is $553 (more on payment amounts below).

Where Are Disability Claims Decided in Nebraska?

When you apply for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI or SSI) in Nebraska, your claim will be sent to a state agency in Lincoln called Disability Determinations Services (DDS). The DDS comes under the Nebraska Department of Education's Vocational Rehabilitation Department.

At the Lincoln DDS, a disability claims examiner, along with the help of a doctor who works for DDS, will decide whether you are medically disabled. If the claims examiner denies your claim, you'll have to request a reconsideration, which asks a different claims examiner at DDS to review the file.

If the reconsideration is again denied (most are), you'll need to file a request for a hearing with Social Security. From then on, your claim will be handled by Social Security's Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) in Omaha. You'll find contact information and approval statistics for these offices below.

How Likely Is My Claim for Disability to Be Approved in Nebraska?

In Nebraska, your chance of having DDS approve your initial disability application is 49%, which is higher than the national average. At the reconsideration step, you have a 16% of being approved for benefits.

And after attending a disability hearing, you have a 59% chance of the administrative law judge (ALJ) approving your disability benefits.

Source: ALJ Disposition Data Fiscal Year 2023 (Social Security).

How Long Does It Take to Get an ALJ Hearing in Nebraska?

The average wait time for a hearing in Nebraska is 16 months, due to a backlog at the Omaha hearing office. If you think you have a strong case and supportive medical records, a disability lawyer may be able to get you an on-the-record decision without your having to wait for a hearing.

Source: Average Wait Time Until Hearing, June 2023 (Social Security).

Where Is Nebraska's Disability Determination Services?

When you apply through the Grand Island, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha, or Scottsbluff Social Security field offices, your claim is sent to the Lincoln DDS. Here is the contact information for that agency.

Nebraska Disability Determinations Services
7800 South 15th Street
Lincoln, NE 68512
Phone: (402) 471-2961

Where Is My Disability Hearing Held in Nebraska?

If you request a hearing, it will be held at the hearing office in Omaha. Here is the contact information for the Omaha OHO.

Omaha Office of Hearings Operations
Exec Center, Suite 500
1000 N 90th Street
Omaha, NE 68114
Telephone: (888) 881-4633
Fax: (833) 561-0427

Before your hearing, you may want to confirm that the address and phone number havne't changed with Social Security's hearing office locator.

How Much SSI Will You Receive in Nebraska?

The maximum federal monthly SSI payment is $914 in 2023, but not many SSI recipients in Nebraska receive this amount. Your monthly payment will be lowered if you have any income, from work or otherwise. Social Security will also reduce your SSI payment by one-third (to $612) if you receive free room and board.

Nebraska's State Disability Program (SDP) pays a small state supplement payment to some Nebraska residents who receive SSI. The program will contribute to the cost of boarding homes, certified adult family homes, and assisted living. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) administers the payment. To find out the amount of the payment you qualify for, if any, ask a Health and Human Services caseworker at the DHHS or ACCESSNebraska.

Who Can Help Me Return to Work in Nebraska?

For Nebraskans who want to try to return to work but need help, Nebraska's Vocational Rehabilitation office offers vocational services such as counseling, job placement, and help with accommodations. For more information and contact information for your local office, visit the VR website at www.vr.nebraska.gov or call 800-472-3382.

_{Updated July 28, 2023}

_{Other Sources:
Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2021
Annual Statistical Supplement, 2022}