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 $1,037 and the average SSI payment in Nebraska is $488 (more on this below).
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 will decide whether you are medically disabled. If the claims examiner denies your claim, you'll have to file a reconsideration review, 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.
In Nebraska, your chance of having DDS approve your initial disability application is 41%, which is higher than the national average. After attending a disability hearing, you have a 49% chance of having the administrative law judge (ALJ) approve your disability benefits, which is also higher than the national average.
| Stage of Application |
Nebraska |
Nationally |
|
Initial Application Approval |
41% |
35% |
|
Reconsideration Approval |
11% |
13% |
|
Hearing Approval |
49% |
45% |
|
13 months |
18 months |
When you apply through the Grand Island, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha, or Scottsbluff Social Security field offices, your claim is sent to the Omaha DDS. Here is the contact information for that agency.
Nebraska Disability Determinations Services
P.O. Box 82530
Lincoln, Nebraska 68501-2530
800-331-5616
If you request a hearing, it will be held at the hearing office in Omaha. The wait time for a hearing in Nebraska is 13 months, which is shorter than the national average.
Here is the contact information.
Omaha Hearing Office
Exec Center, Suite 500
1000 N 90th Street
Omaha, NE 68114
Telephone: (888) 881-4633
Fax: (402) 398-1557
The maximum federal monthly SSI payment is $771 in 2019, 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. And Nebraska pays a small state supplement payment to its residents who receive SSI. The payment ranges from $51 for those living independently (whose rent cost is above a certain amount) to $1,200 for those living in assisted living (depending on the cost of the facility). The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) administers the payment. To find out the amount of the payment you qualify for, ask a Health and Human Services caseworker at the DHHS or ACCESSNebraska.
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.
If you are denied benefits by Nebraska DDS and want to appeal, you should consider hiring a lawyer to represent you at your ALJ hearing. Most disability claimants bring a disability lawyer to their hearing because their chance of winning benefits at a hearing is significantly higher with an attorney. To find a local attorney, fill out our form below.
Updated August 29, 2019
Need a lawyer? Start here.