If you become disabled in Nevada, you can apply for Social Security disability benefits through two federal programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Nevada does not have a state disability program. While many of the processes for SSDI and SSI are standardized throughout the county, there are differences among the states, including the amount of the SSI payment, how decisions are made, the costs of getting medical records to support your disability claim, disability approval statistics, vocational rehabilitation services, and of course, contact information for disability-related offices.
In every state, medical determinations are made by a disability examiner (DE). In Nevada, these disability examiners work for the Bureau of Disability Adjudication (BDA), which is a state agency under the Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation (DETR).
Note that most states call their disability determination agency "Disability Determination Services (DDS)," so that's the term we use on this site to refer to this agency.
In Nevada, the approval rates for disability benefits is slightly less than national rates, both at the initial application stage and after an administrative law judge (ALJ) hearings. The average hearing wait times are nearly equal in Nevada to the national average. Below is a chart that compares Nevada to the national average for disability benefit approvals.
Step of Application/ Appeals Process |
Nevada |
Nationally |
Initial Application |
34% approval |
35% approval |
Reconsideration |
13% approval |
13% approval |
ALJ Hearing |
42% approval |
45% approval |
Hearing Wait Time |
18 months |
18 months |
While the federal government pays the monthly benefits for recipients of SSI (which may be reduced based on additional income), the State of Nevada chooses to pay Nevada residents who are blind an additional monthly benefit. The amount depends on their living situation. The Social Security Administration administers this payment for Nevada. Below is the chart that outlines how much blind individuals and couples in Nevada may be eligible to receive monthly.
Living Situation | Nevada | Federal | Total |
Living Independently |
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Living in the Household of Another |
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Domiciliary Care |
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Couples where one spouse is blind and the other is disabled receive a bit less.
In Nevada, health care professionals are normally allowed to charge up to $0.60 per page for a photocopy of your medical records. Fortunately, those who are obtaining medical records to support a Social Security disability claim are entitled to one free copy of their medical records. To receive the free set of medical records, you should supply your Social Security application or appeals paperwork with your request for your medical records.Contact Information for BDA
Here is contact information for the Bureau of Disability Adjudication (BDA), the office in Nevada that makes the decision regarding your disability benefits, and the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO), the office that handles all appeals in Nevada.
BDA |
500 East Third Street Carson City, NV 89713 Telephone: (775) 687-4430 |
2800 E. St. Louis Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89104 Telephone: (702) 636-4300 |
Hearing Offices |
333 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Telephone: 888-397-5623 Serves the following areas: Henderson, Las Vegas, Las Vegas (North) |
300 Booth Street, Suite 4000 Reno, Nevada 89509 Telephone: (877) 897-0607 Serves the following areas: Reno, Elko |
In Nevada, the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation under the Nevada DETR can help disabled individuals who want to return to work. Vocational Rehabilitation provides vocational services and individual counselors, who assess individuals' needs and create job plans for them. Below are the local offices for Vocational Rehabilitation.
Carson City |
Nevada JobConnect 1933 N. Carson Street Telephone: (775) 684-0400 |
Reno |
Nevada JobConnect 1325 Corporate Boulevard Telephone: (775) 823-8100 |
Nevada JobConnect 4001 S. Virginia Street Telephone: (775) 834-1970 |
|
Sparks |
Nevada JobConnect 1675 E. Prater Way, Suite 103 Telephone: (775) 336-5400 |
Henderson |
Nevada JobConnect 119 Water Street Telephone: (702) 486-0300 |
Las Vegas |
Rehabilitation office 3016 W. Charleston Suite 200 Telephone: (702) 486-5230 |
Nevada |
JobConnect 3405 S. Maryland Parkway Telephone: (702) 486-0100 |
Southern Nevada |
Adult Mental Health 6161 W. Charleston Boulevard, Bldg. #2 Telephone: (702) 486-6043 |
North Las Vegas |
Nevada JobConnect 2827 Las Vegas Boulevard North Telephone: (702) 486-0200 |
Elko |
Nevada JobConnect 172 6th Street Telephone: (775) 753-1931 |
ELY |
Nevada JobConnect 1500 Avenue F, Suite 1 Telephone: (775) 289-1675 |
Fallon |
Nevada JobConnect 121 Industrial Way Telephone: (775) 423-6568 |
Winnemucca |
Nevada JobConnect 475 W. Haskell Street, Suite 2 Telephone: (775) 623-6544 |
Because, on average, Nevada ALJs are less likely to approve disability benefits than ALJS in other areas of the country, you may want to consider hiring a disability attorney to represent you at your hearing. (Here's how a disability lawyer helps.) To locate an attorney, visit our Nevada disability lawyers page.
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