Filing for Social Security Disability in New Mexico

New Mexico's Disability Determination Services (DDS) agency makes initial disability determinations for the Social Security Administration (SSA), even though the disability application process is the same in New Mexico as it is in the rest of the U.S. (Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are federal programs.)

This article discusses the approval and denial rates for New Mexico's DDS agency and its hearing office in Albuquerque, as well as New Mexico's supplemental SSI payment amounts.

How Do I Apply for and Get Disability Benefits in New Mexico?

You can apply for disability benefits online at SSA's website or through a local Social Security field office. New Mexico has 12 field offices, including offices in Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Roswell, and Santa Fe.

At the field office (or over the phone), a claims representative will review your application to make sure you've met all of the technical requirements for benefits (such as the work history requirements for SSDI or the income limits for SSI).

If you meet the technical requirements, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will send your application to a claims examiner at New Mexico's Disability Determination Services (DDS), a state agency, for a medical decision to be made on your records.

What Are the Disability Approval Rates in New Mexico?

New Mexico's Disability Determination Services agency in Albuquerque approved only 34% of disability claims at the initial application level, though they approved 18% of claims at the reconsideration level (a reconsideration is the first level of appeal, where DDS re-examines the application).

At the next level of appeal, the hearing level, New Mexico administrative law judges (ALJs) awarded benefits in 62% of the cases they heard. The wait for a hearing in New Mexico is roughly the same as in the rest of the country. It takes an average of 15 months from the time of the request for a hearing to the date the case is decided by an ALJ in the Albuquerque hearing office.

Source: ALJ Disposition Data Fiscal Year 2023 and Average Wait Time Until Hearing, June 2023 (Social Security).

How Much Do SSDI and SSI Recipients in New Mexico Receive?

The average SSDI payment in New Mexico is $1,482, but the amount you'll receive is based on the amount of money you've earned over many years. The maximum amount of SSDI that someone can receive is $3,627 in 2023, but hardly anyone receives that amount.

For SSI, the federal government pays a maximum of $914 per individual and $1,371 per couple every month (in 2023). But this amount is adjusted if you have additional income or if you receive free room and board. That's why the average SSI payment in New Mexico is only $548.

Does New Mexico Pay an SSI State Supplement?

While the federal government pays the bulk of the SSI monthly payments, New Mexico pays an extra amount (called a state supplement) to disabled adults who can't live on their own.

SSI recipients who live in an adult residential facility or assisted living center are eligible for the state supplement. Single disabled adults living in a home receive $100 per month in addition to their federal SSI benefit; a couple receives $200 additional per month. This supplement goes toward paying for the residential facility or assisted living center.

To be eligible for the ARSCH supplemental payment program, an individual must be living in a facility licensed as an adult residential shelter care home (ARSCH) by the New Mexico Department of Health. (N.M.S.A. § 8-106-120.)

The New Mexico Human Services Department administers the supplement for residential care programs. Visit the New Mexico Human Services Department's website for information on how to apply for it.

New Mexico also provides a $200 burial supplement to indigent SSI recipients.

How Much Will It Cost to Get My Medical Records?

New Mexico law allows medical providers to charge up to $30 for the first 15 pages of your medical records and $0.25 a page thereafter. There is no overall limit on the amount you can be charged, even if you're using the records to apply for disability.

New Mexico's Disability Determination Services Agency

The New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) oversees New Mexico's Disability Determination Services (DDS) agency. After you apply for disability, Social Security checks your non-medical eligibility for disability and forwards your application to New Mexico DDS.

If you have questions after you apply but before you get a decision, contact DDS directly. Here is the contact information for New Mexico's DDS location.

New Mexico Disability Determination Services
7421 Bartlett Dr. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87107
Phone: 505-841-5600
Fax: 505-841-5724
Website: https://www.dvr.state.nm.us/disability-determination-services/

Disability Hearing Offices in New Mexico

New Mexico has one hearing office, called the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO), in Albuquerque. This office serves disability applicants from the following field offices: Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Clovis, Farmington, Gallup, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Rio Rancho, Roswell, and Santa Fe.

The Albuquerque OHO manages the case file once it gets to the hearing level and schedules and hosts the hearings. If you have questions after you've requested a hearing, contact this office. Here is the contact information.

New Mexico OHO
555 Broadway, NE
Suite 200
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (866) 731-3998
Fax: (833) 561-0420

New Mexico Rehabilitation Services

New Mexico offers rehabilitation services through the New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). The Division provides assistance with retraining, independent living skills, medical and psychological treatment, and many other services. For more information, visit the DVR website.

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